


Battle Buffet Blues

by Shiny9Tails



Series: Battle Buffet Blues [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Amputation, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arora-chichou | Alola, Blood and Gore, Bullying, Burns, Comfort, Confrontations, Cooking, Dom/sub, Dominance, Dreams, Fantasizing, Feelings, Fire, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Food, Freedom, Gore, Guilt, Healing, Height Differences, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Masturbation, Multi, Night Terrors, Nightmares, Pain, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Past Relationship(s), Pokemon - Freeform, Poly, Polyamorous Character, Polyamory, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Scars, Slow Burn, Smoking, Smut, Surgery, Survivor Guilt, Trans Character, Verbal Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-23
Updated: 2018-04-18
Packaged: 2018-09-11 09:54:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 42,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8974954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shiny9Tails/pseuds/Shiny9Tails
Summary: After escaping her abusive father, Nia ends up in Alola working at the Battle Buffet. As she heals she finds others like her and her peaceful dream is shattered by reality. Can they help her forge a new dream?





	1. A New Start

_Fire encircled her, lapping at her skin. She screamed in pain and dropped to her knees. Her eyes filled with tears as she begged for them to stop hurting her. A dark chuckle tore away the hope that they would stop._  
_"Why? You deserve this after all. You were a bad girl..."_  
_She stared in horror as a pair of fangs leaped from the fire towards her face. She screamed._

  
Nia awoke in a cold sweat. She curled up and sobbed until she couldn't cry anymore. _"You're safe now...It's ok"_ She repeated this mantra until she could finally move. Looking around it took her a minute to remember where she was. She was in an apartment meant for the Shopping Mall workers. Some like her couldn't afford housing in Alola and had to sleep in apartments meant for workers. It was a tiny room with only enough room for a bed and mini fridge.

  
She glanced at her alarm clock and sighed. Not enough time to go back to sleep before work. Turning off the alarm, she stretched and popped the kinks out of her back. She turned on the lights and got dressed in her brand new uniform. She would be working at the Battle Buffet starting today, but wasn't sure how to feel about it. Her freedom was still new and strange to her. As she put her dark purple hair up in a bun she thought about the events leading up to her freedom. Stealing from her parents wasn't something she wanted to do, but was a necessary evil. The credit card that got her to Alola was now cut up in the trash.

  
Double checking to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything, she looked herself over. Did she look weird with the apron and long sleeves? There wasn't a full length mirror for her to check for herself, but her new boss had assured her she didn't when she tried on the uniform yesterday. Nia was thankful he had understood when she asked to wear long sleeves with the uniform. She didn't want anyone to see the bruises that were still healing.

  
With a skip in her step she left her apartment and headed into work. One of the waitresses gave her instructions while another applied makeup to Nia's face. She was grateful that Alolan's were so nice. They kept calling her 'lil sis' even though they had met for the first time today.

  
Starting today she was to be a hostess. It was a pretty simple job, she just had to greet people and make sure that they didn't stop by more than once in a day. She was surprised that the owner let her deal with money on her first day, but didn't ask why. She was sure he had his reasons.

  
Before her shift officially began, one of the waitresses pulled her aside. "Oh by the way lil sis, if you have any pokemon you can get free food at the end of the day...If you are ok with battling them." Nia's face drained of color but tried not to show how uncomfortable she was with that idea. "I-um. I don't have any...Pokemon.." The waitress seemed mildly surprised but didn't press her about it.

  
Nia thought that hosting would be boring, but was pleasantly surprised to find it wasn't. People of all types with Pokemon of all types came and went. Many were regulars and exclaimed when they saw the brand new hostess. Her pale skin and dark purple hair was quite the novelty and many natives welcomed her warmly. By the end of her shift she had already learned to tune out the sound of battle over the dishes.

  
She was just about to switch out with the next hostess when a party of people came in. They all wore black and white and were wearing necklaces with a skull pendant. The man in front took all her attention however. She was tall enough to use the podium, but this man was a head taller than her even though he was slouching. His hair was fluffy and white with a black undercut. His necklace was gold, but his eyes were silver with dark circles under them. She was pretty sure his circles might be darker than her own.

  
"W-welcome to the B-battle Buffet...um...Table for h-how many...?"

  
The words caught in her throat and she had to force it to say even the one line. Her voice even squeaked at the end. The man grinned darkly at her and leaned close so their faces were a breath away. Her own face reddened and she dared not breathe. "Table for ten sweetcheeks" She hesitated before looking down and tapping the buttons on the register. He drew back as she typed away and looked her up and down. _"Definitely new to the mall, maybe even the region..."_ He turned to the side and glanced at his right hand, Plumeria. She was also inspecting the girl, he could tell by how still she was.

  
Nia finally looked up from the register and choked out the price. Plumeria strode forward and handed her the cash. As the girl's arm withdrew, Plumeria grabbed her wrist and pulled the sleeve up. Nia was mortified as a motley of bruises was revealed to these strangers. She yanked her arm back and busied herself with the register. She didn't dare look at their faces, not when tears were forming in her eyes. She held out their receipt, but they didn't take it right away. She was shaking like a leaf when she finally glanced up at them.

  
The woman with the ponytails was staring at her with pity and understanding, but the man was furious. Anger radiated off of him like a small sun. The people behind them cowered or peeked at her around their bosses. Finally he growled out, "Who.did.that...? Who hurt you?" She flinched but still held out the receipt, praying to whatever gods there were that they would take it so she could leave. Finally the girl delicately took the receipt from her and Nia bolted to the back room.

The next hostess stared at her confused, but understood once she entered the dining room. _"Poor girl had to deal with Team Skull on her first day"_

  
Nia ran all the way back to her apartment, slamming and locking the door behind her. She sobbed then, pouring all her embarrassment and pain onto the floor. She didn't even bother to turn on the light as she crawled into bed and cried till she was numb.

  
She spent the rest of the day inside, not daring to go out. Finally she showered in her tiny bathroom and went to bed hoping that the next day would be better.


	2. Explanations

Her alarm woke her the next day. She whapped the clock until it silenced and sighed. No nightmares this time, but she was still shaking when she sat up. She stared at her hands, questioning if she was still that embarrassed from yesterday when her stomach grumbled. She giggled at the sound and it grew into an all out laugh. _"Of course. I didn't eat yesterday, so I'm famished."_

She stood and stretched before rummaging through her mini fridge for food. There was a communal kitchen downstairs, but she didn't want to accidentally take someone else's food. There was also a mini Laundromat and payphone, but she didn't find any need to use them yet.

  
She found a malasada that was getting stale and ate that with some Pecha juice. As she got ready for work she thought about yesterday. Mainly "who were those people" and "Will they tell the cops?" She had no way of answering the first question, but her instincts told her the second was a no. The man at least seemed like the type that was used to getting his way, law be damned. 

She blushed at the thought of that man, calling her sweetcheeks. She shook her head and slapped her cheeks. Didn't she just think that he seemed like a unlawful corrupt guy? The anger when he saw her bruises told her there was something deeper there. He cared that a complete stranger was hurt, and knew they weren't from some accident. The woman next to him knew as well. Maybe they were actually really nice?

She slapped her cheeks again and headed for the door. She didn't have time for this crap, not when she had to work. The owner stopped her at the bottom of the stairs however and motioned her into his office. She followed, her heart in her throat. Maybe someone complained about her? Maybe he was going tell her she wasn't cut out for this kind of work and was kicking her out?

He slumped into his chair and motioned her to sit in the chair in front of his desk. Like most Alolan rooms, his office was painted with bright colors. His office however had an abundance of surfing posters and even a board above his desk. Some of the pictures showed him and his family surfing with their Pokemon. They all seemed really happy.

He cracked his knuckles and began, "So...heard you met Team Skull yesterday." Her head cocked to the side in confusion, before it clicked in her mind who he was talking about. "Oh...you mean the last group of my shift..." 

"Ya. I wanna apologize. They have a tendency to come by once a month with their best guys to train. I completely forgot they were gonna come by soon when I scheduled you for that day."

"Oh..." She didn't know what else to say.

"However, you will have to see them again. They are customers like everyone else, and just want to battle and eat what they earn. Outside of work however..."

He hesitated before continuing. "They aren't exactly the best bunch. Their criminal records are long, and their latest stunt is stealing Pokemon"

Her eyes widened and she gulped uncomfortably. Stealing Pokemon was a big no-no on a global scale. She retracted her earlier thoughts and decided that they were definitely bad guys.

"However those are only rumors so we can't call the cops if they show up, got it? When they are at the Buffet they are customers like anyone else. They may get rowdy, but we can only call the cops if some serious shit goes down, like a fist fight. Doesn't happen that often though so try to stay calm and keep your head down."

She nodded and asked if there was anything else.

"Ya, after you left their Boss was especially rowdy. Anything happen? Cassie saw you clock out in a hurry." 

"Um...yes...They saw my bruises..."

He grunted and nodded. "That would do it. Guzma can't stand that shit. I can't either which is why I'm letting you live here on cheap rent."

  
She blushed and looked down in embarrassment. A heavy hand rested on top of her head and gave her a gentle pat. She looked up at her boss, surprised to see that it was his hand.

"Don't worry lil sis. You're out of that situation and I'll call the cops if anyone tries to hurt you again."

She nodded, feeling a little confidence surge through her system. His assurance really helped, but she was afraid of what would happen if her step-father showed up with his Arcanine. He could hurt her plenty while he called the cops.

"Now get to work sis. I'll call ahead and tell them not to give you any negative marks for being late"

She smiled for the first time in a while and thanked him before leaving. She could see him pick up the phone as she exited. At least her boss seemed to be a man of his words.

She was just about to enter the mall from the back entrance when a guy Skull Grunt approached her. She froze as he swaggered up, dancing and waving his arms everywhere like some bizarre mating dance. 

"Yo yo, you work 'ere yesterday?" He continued to move around as he spoke, flashing gang signs left and right.

"Um...yes..?" She had no idea what he wanted or even where to focus her eyes. He kept bobbing his head erratically, and she couldn't keep eye contact.

"'Ere. Boss wanted ya to have his number if any bad shit goes down again." He passed her a number scrawled on line paper and she took it without thinking. She blushed and put it in her apron pocket. The Grunt was about to leave when she called out.

"Why?"

The Grunt turned and stopped dancing, looking her dead in the eye.

"Boss don't like to see people black and blue." He blushed and continued "'Specially hotties like you..."

Her face reddened until she was the color of a tamato berry. She stuttered and stumbled, desperately trying to deny that she was "hot".

The Grunt chuckled and said, "Naw, ya can't tell me otherwise. I'd totally wanna show you a good time~" His own face reddened above the bandanna and he went back to doing his strange mating dance.

"Gotta go though, hot stuff. Boss wanted me to run back soon as I gave ya the numbah. As much as I'd love ta keep talking ta ya, I'd rather not have my ass reamed."

He was halfway across the parking lot when she stammered out, "N-name?"

He paused and shouted back, "What?"

She gulped and shouted "W-What's y-your name??" Her face was almost purple with embarrassment. She'd never done this before.

He grinned goofily under his bandanna and yell out, "Friends call me K. Remember that ok?!"

She nodded before diving into the building, her heart pounding so hard it hurt. After her heart calmed down she shook her head and berated herself. How could she be so happy to be complimented by a criminal?? They were thieves and thugs, and yet... the woman's face of pity and their bosses face of anger flashed through her head. They cared that she was hurt. They didn't try to ignore it or pretend they saw nothing. 

She scrunched up her face and sighed. She didn't have time for this inner dialogue, she had work to do. She clocked in and strode to her podium, hoping for a peaceful shift.

Which didn't happen.


	3. A serious offer

Her shift started out decent, but it didn't end that way. It all started when two kids, barely old enough to get their first Pokemon entered the buffet. There was something unsettling about them. Maybe it was their perpetual smiles or their muteness, or maybe it was simply because she didn't see them blink. Because of their ages she asked for their passports, which they showed her without hesitation.

  
She stared in surprise at the stamps, surprised that these two kids already beat the Akala Trial. She gave back their passports and let them in, less surprised when they could pay the entrance fee.

  
Not ten minutes later, the buffet was resounding with the noise of battle. Pokemon cries shook the room and Nia couldn't help but watch. The source of the loudest battles were always the two kids. They were relentless and determined to take every plate of food they could get their hands on. She could see the cooks in the kitchen working overtime just to keep the supply of food up. Finally time was up and everyone went to their tables with their hard won food. The kids had filled their table with plates and plates of food. Some waitresses even had to bring a dinner cart just to hold all their food. Everyone in the restaurant stared in awe and disgust as the children downed every plate, mopping up every drop of food.

  
Nia was sure the regulars looked angry, but another waitress explained that this happened sometimes and it would spur the regulars to get stronger. The children left looking satisfied, but everyone in the buffet asked themselves the same thing.

  
_"Where do they put away all that food?"_

  
The cooks were so swamped even Nia had to help wash dishes before she was allowed to clock out.

  
She paused on the back step of the buffet and wondered what to do. She had dashed home yesterday, but today she wanted to do...well, something. The beach was a no, and would always be a no. No one wanted to see her disfigured and burnt skin. She wasn't going to subject some kids mom to a bunch of questions she didn't have the answers to. Her stomach growled and she chuckled. _"Guess watching those kids stuff themselves made me hungry."_

  
She walked briskly to the nearest convenience store, grateful her boss gave her an advance on her paycheck. The pleasant ding of a bell accompanied her inside and she met the cashiers pleasant wave with her own. She began touring the shelves, looking at the prices more than the items themselves. She found overtime that she could eat just about anything, even things most people found gross. She paid no attention as the little bell above the door rang every so often. Mostly it was just little kids getting ice cream or drinks. Finally she picked some chips and a drink. She was just about to check out when an itch crawled across her chest.

  
She sighed. She knew better than to itch herself. She trudged back to the lotions and sunscreen, wishing she had remembered to grab hers when she left home. She grabbed a lotion with sunscreen in it and was stunned when someone grabbed the one next to it. She looked up and was startled to see the woman with the pink and blonde pigtails. She glanced up and looked equally startled. She had her own basket filled with a multitude of chips and soda.

  
Plumeria broke the uncomfortable silence with, "Hey...uh hi. Sorry 'bout the other day. I wasn't thinking."

  
Nia relaxed and shook her head. "It's ok. You've a...you've seen that before huh?"

Plum nodded solemnly and extended her hand. "Name's Plumeria, but everyone calls me Plum." Nia shook her hand and gave her own name. Why did she keep feeling comfortable with people from Team Skull?

Plum smiled and asked, "So how you liking Alola? Boss could tell immediately that you weren't from here."

Nia shrugged noncommittally before stating, "I uh.. I haven't been here for even a week yet, but I kinda like it. It's a lot warmer than where I'm from"

  
Plums eyes lit up and she exclaimed, "Really?! Now I need to give you a tour, Team Skull style of course."

Nia didn't have time to object as Plum grabbed her wrist and dragged her to the cashier and paid for both of their orders. She dragged her out the door and down to the beach, eliciting curious stares all the while. Finally they came to a secluded part of the beach, stuffed with Team Skull members. Guzma was already in the water tossing Grunts left and right, laughing all the while.

  
Some Grunts saw Plum and waved, staring curiously at the girl being dragged along. They called out to the rest of the Grunts and gathered around Plumeria, eager for their chips and drinks. Even Guzma came sloshing out of the water, curious to see what Plumeria brought him.

  
She passed out all the designated treats, finally releasing Nia. She thought about running, but there was something endearing about Plumeria yelling at her 'lil bros and lil sis's' to 'make a goddamn line'. From the end of the line she could see who she assumed was 'K' waving at her. She blushed lightly and waved shyly back. He grinned ear to ear and one of his buddies pulled him back into line and nudged his side with his own suggestive grin. She blushed harder and stared at her shoes, feeling a bit embarrassed at the attention.

  
Guzma however ignored the line completely and grabbed his bag of chips from the bags. Ripping it open with his teeth, he munched on the chips happily, finally seeing her next to him and Plumeria. He slouched further the be at eye level with her before saying "Hello again sweetcheeks. Couldn't stay away from ya boi Guz, right?"

  
She blushed again before hesitantly answering, " Plum...offered me a tour um...Team Skull style?" He laughed and patted her back a little too hard.

  
"Sounds like Plum. We'll show you the sights no problem, but ya might want to ditch the uniform. Don't want it getting dirty now." She glanced down at her apron. In her rush for food, she had forgotten to go home and change. She carefully removed it and folded her apron, placing it in her shopping bag. She undid her bun as well, blushing at the whistles sent her way as her hair tumbled back into purple curls.

  
Finally the line ended and all the Grunts rested in the sand, eating and drinking away. Plum sat on the opposite side of her and ate her own chips. Guzma's mood turned serious as she sat down and he began interrogating Nia.

  
"You away from the bastard that hurt ya?" Nia nodded and sipped her drink. She knew these questions would pop up eventually. They saw her bruises after all. Plum piped up and asked, "They healing ok?" She nodded and Guzma patted her head gently.

"You could join Team Skull ya'know..."

The statement startled her and she shook her head no without thinking. Guzma chuckled and continued. "I get it. Ya heard our rep and are scared. I just want ya to know that offer don't expire. Everyone here has been through some horrible shit and consider Team Skull a haven. If ya ever wanna join, ya got my number."

  
She stared out at the Grunts surprised to hear they all were hurt the way she was. Now that she was looking she could see a good half of them had visible scars. She itched her arm and thought about the offer. If shit went down again she might join. Even if it meant stealing Pokemon. She just wanted to live.

She could feel blood from her scratching and she excused herself and headed for some tall rocks. Hiding behind them, she took off her long sleeve shirt revealing a white bra and burns that covered her torso. Her itching had opened one of the burn scars high up on her arm. She pulled the lotion out from her bag and began the arduous task of covering each burn with lotion.

  
Halfway through she heard a shift in the sand and looked up. Plumeria stared at her from one of the rocks, her mouth agape at the sight of her scars. Nia froze up and stared back, until finally a word escaped from both of them.

"Fuck..."


	4. Is this what friends are?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for support ^^ I'm so happy that so many people have read my little story. Hope you enjoy this next chapter.

That single word echoed between them, heavy with tension. They stared at each other with disbelief, the moment stretching like taffy.

  
Nia broke the spell and lunged for her shirt. Plumeria looked away and stared at the sea, trying her hardest to wipe away the horror from her face. Nia emerged from the rocks and stood next to her, not surprised to see the familiar expression on Plums face. It was pity, thinly-veiled horror, and confusion mixed into one. Finally Plum cleared her throat and spoke.

"I-ah...I was worried when you were taking so long."

Nia nodded in acknowledgment and shifted her stare to the ground. The sand was sticking to her shoes, giving them a dusty look.

"That was....all from your abuser?"

She nodded again and felt a gentle pat on the back. Tears welled up in her eyes and she desperately tried to hold them back, shuddering and clenching her fists. She could still feel his fists thudding into her soft flesh. A pair of arms awoke her from her thoughts and she yelped lightly. The arms belonged to Plumeria and she was holding her tight. Nia's hands slowly unclenched and she hugged back, tears slowly trickling down her cheeks.

She didn't know how long they hugged or how long she cried, but she felt better when they finally detached. Plums own eyes were a little red and puffy, but her makeup was still intact. She gave Nia a warm smile and gently wiped her tears away.  
Nia whispered, "We should probably get back..."

Plum shook her head and asked, "Did you finish getting all the burns?"

Nia shook her head no and let Plum guide her back to the rocks. She removed her shirt again and was about to continue when Plum let out a soft cough. She turned to Plum and was surprised when Plum asked, "Can I get your back?" She had the lightest of blushes before continuing, "Most people can't reach their back very well."

Nia smiled and held out the lotion, glad to have help. They passed it back and forth so she could finish her front while Plum did the back. Plums hands were soft but her grip was firm even when covered in lotion. She was gentle at first but was a little rougher after Nia assured her they didn't hurt anymore. Nia sighed softly as Plum gripped her shoulders and smeared lotion there. She could get used to someone helping her with this chore.

Plum tapped her on the shoulder and waited for Nia to turn. She blinked at Plum inquisitively as Plums face brightened.  
"I need to undo your bra and get the burns there..."

Nia's face reddened as well as she nodded at Plum, silently granting permission. She turned around again letting Plumeria probe her back. The tension from her bra lessened and she held the cups in place. She could feel Plums hands get gentle again as she carefully massaged the lotion into her skin. She closed her eyes and wondered why her heart was pounding so hard. She could swear Plum could feel it through her back.

Finally Plum helped her relatch the bra and she put her shirt back on. She smiled shyly at Plum and she smiled back. They began the walk back in silence, unsure of what to say to the other. Finally Plum rested her arm across Nia's shoulders and they walked in step back to Team Skull.

Guzma was letting the Grunts bury him in the sand when they came back. He stared with curiosity as they approached and his mouth widened into a smug grin. They sat next to him and he waved his hand at the grunts sending them back into the water. If she squinted, Nia was certain she could see 'K' lounging in an innertube.

"So...y'all totally fucked."

Plum and Nia's heads swiveled towards the Guzma. Guzma grinned at their blushes and Nia's stuttered denials. Plum decided to react differently. She headlocked Guzma and noogied him, muttering something about Guzma saying stupid shit. He slipped out of it and pulled himself from the mound of sand he was buried in. Before Plum could react she was swung over his shoulder and he was running to the water.

  
Nia couldn't help but giggle as Guzma threw Plumeria into the water, causing all the Grunts to shriek and laugh as they tried to get out of the way. Plumeria sputtered back up to the surface and tried to dunk Guzma. She was laughing as well when she was finally able to dunk her big bad boss.

Nia watched them play from the beach, resting under a palm tree with her bag. She wanted to swim too, but knew it wasn't possible. She wasn't ready for a swim suit. Plum's reaction was still fresh in her mind.

She soon fell asleep, using her bag as a pillow. When she woke, the sun was setting and everyone was getting out of the water. Plum helped her up and she stretched, surprised when she didn't see sunburn on herself. She made a note to get the same lotion next time. Guzma ruffled her hair and she wondered again if she should just join them right now. She was already feeling close to them.

They talked a bit while they dried off, mainly trying to find out when she worked so they could give her that tour. They picked Saturday and teased that they might have to see her while she was at work. K ran up to them when they were done and offered to walk her home. Guzma gave him a solid pat on the back and let him. glancing at Plumeria the entire time to see if she was jealous. Plumeria saw his glances and mouthed the words "tell you later". His face brightened considerably and he gained a skip in his step. Guzma was sure he was getting a hot lesbian sex story to beat off to later.

K walked next to Nia on her way home and chatted. He kept glancing at her hand but made no move to take hers. He knew better. The conversation finally landed on him asking her if she had someone waiting for her at home. She blushed and said no, wondering why she just admitted to that. He stopped and asked curiously "Not even a Pokemon?"

She was taken back at his question but answered truthfully, "No."

He stared at her for a moment before stating confidently, "I'm gonna catch one for you then."

She was taken back by his bluntness before teasingly asking, "What if I don't want one?"

He made a comically sour face and stated "Tauros shit"

She giggled and agreed it was bullshit. "I just...I couldn't leave for my journey back then." She remembered the way her step-father laughed at her for even asking. "There's no point" is what he had said with a mocking laugh. He told her she didn't have the right stuff to be a "normal" trainer and he sure as hell wasn't having a contest trainer under his roof.

K saw the look on her face droop and he touched her shoulder gently. She looked up at him and smiled, trying so hard to not let him see her sadness. He smiled sweetly back at her and stated, "I'm going to get you a Pokemon, one that suits you." She nodded, happy to have someone understand her sadness even through her smile.

He left her at the door of her apartment building and waved before disappearing into the night. She trudged up the stairs to her apartment and stepped into her room, happy to just flop onto the mattress. She fell asleep on top of the covers, not wanting to move after her long day.


	5. Questioning Yourself

Saturday couldn't come fast enough.

  
Everyday was a little better than the last. She was getting the hang of her job and even starting to socialize with one of the cooks. His name was Carver and he'd often challenge Buffet goers to battles for his gold star dishes. He had pride in his work and respected her as a sometimes clumsy, but hard worker. He'd often pat her head and tell her she reminded him of when he was younger. He often asked her why she didn't have Pokemon, but instead of answering she'd only state that she would have one soon. She had a sparkle in her eyes when she answered him like this that reminded him of when he was 10 and received his Psyduck. He often wondered out loud what Pokemon she'd get and the other cooks joined in, placing bets with chores. The highest was a Bounsweet for a week load of dishes.

The only disturbance that week was the day after going to the beach.

Guzma was sitting on the curb behind the Mall when she finished her shift. He was speaking low and intensely to a large bug Pokemon she'd never seen before. The Pokemon clicked and gestured with it's tiny extra arms and Guzma nodded as if he understood. She approached shyly and asked him what he was up to. His head snapped up and he met her gaze with his own look of surprise. Before she could react, he was standing and grabbing for her, pulling her into a tight hug. Her first instinct was to struggle but he didn't let go, instead gently patting the back of her head.

Finally she understood when he hushed her, whispering, "I know what you're going through..."

She stopped struggling then and began to weep into his chest, finally hugging back. They stood like that for a long time until she felt another person hug her from behind and start humming pleasantly. She turned and saw his Pokemon. It was resting its head on hers with its tiny arms resting on her shoulders. Its big arms were wrapped around her and Guzmas waist keeping them in a tight hug. She stiffened and Guzma chuckled.

"They like ya."

She calmed down after that, letting the Pokemon, which she found out was called a Golisopod, hum and gently stroke her shoulders with its extra arms. Guzma had broken away from the hug, but the Golisopod stayed and hummed. She smiled and looked up at Guzma, who was beaming at his big bug Pokemon.  
He caught her gaze and his smile drooped. He cleared his throat and tensely asked, "You don't live with your abuser anymore, right?"

His eyes were predatory as he waited for her answer. They locked with hers and she felt a chill run down her spine. Her mouth was dry, but she finally forced out, "He's...he's in another r-region..." Guzma stared for a few more seconds before a smile returned to his face. He patted her shoulder and stated, "Good. or else I'd have ta beat his ass"

She chuckled and sighed with relief. She was glad he was on her side, but her smile twitched as she thought of her father. He's convinced people for years that she was a pathological liar and pyromaniac to hide his tracks. Would he come after her and drag her home?

"Who is he?"

Guzma's question shocked her out of her thoughts and she answered without thinking.

"My dad."

Guzma flinched and tugged on his hair in thought. She had a sudden urge to touch his hair, but she squashed it. She didn't want to put up with inappropriate thoughts right now.

Finally he turned back to her and asked, "You got a Pokemon? Ta protect yourself with?"  
She shook her head, forcing the Golisopod to lift its head. It gently patted her shoulders before resting again, humming to her. Guzma pulled at his hair this time and his face twisted into a sour expression. She sputtered out nervously, "But...but K is getting me one..."

Guzma glanced down at her and grinned, letting go of his hair and pinching her cheek gently instead. She 'eeped' in disapproval, and he grinned harder before letting go.

"K's a good guy. He'll getcha something good. Imma getcha somethin too. 'Course I gotta tell Plum and she'll probably getcha one too. Think you can handle three Pokemon at once?"

She began to protest when he waved his hand and continued.

"Was a rhetorical question kid. You're gonna do fine. I can tell by the way Golisopod is 'round ya. You'll be a good trainer."

Her face reddened and she was speechless. He laughed and gestured to his Golisopod, who trudged over to him happily.  
"You're cute when you blush, yaknow? Cuter when you smile."

Her face reddened further and a goofy embarrassed smile spread across it, causing Guzma to mutter "Fuck" under his breath. She was too cute for her own good. He waved nonchalantly and walked off, leaving her a mess of nerves.

As soon as he was out of sight, she crouched and buried her face in her hands. Her face was burning and she couldn't stop smiling. Her heart was in her throat, pounding a feverish beat.

What was wrong with her? They were criminals? But they were so nice...

She flailed her arms in distress, uncertain how to feel. Guzma's words kept echoing through her head, fighting with the words of her father.

_She'd make a good trainer? She'd be a shit trainer?_

_She was cute? She was disgusting?_

_She was wanted on their team? She was worthless?_

_Which one was it?_

_Only one way to find out, and that was to try..._

Finally she stood up and ran home, confused but happy.


	6. Choose one, or two, or three.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay. This one gave me a little trouble. I knew the ending and begining, but the middle didn't want to come together. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Expect another one soon!

Nia awoke on Saturday morning, drenched in a cold sweat. Her hands shook as she tried to calm down from her nightmare.

  
No matter how many times she dreamed of her stepfather, she never got used to the terror that came with it. Her teeth were clenched as she gripped the sheets tight. She stood up quickly, hoping that pacing would calm her down. It only made her nauseous and she struggled to walk into the bathroom. Her dinner heaved itself down the drain and she shook harder, unable to control her body's panic.

  
Her thoughts were a mantra of "calm down, calm down" as she flushed away the vomit and laid down in the tub. Finally she wept, unable to stop her desperate wails. She felt like an infant, crying for its mother. Her own mother had told her again and again that she deserved his treatment to the point that they had stopped talking to each other. So she wept wordlessly, calling out to no one, only wheezing out incomprehensible gibberish.

  
She felt better afterwards. She wiped her eyes and sniffled, tugging at her hair to get it out of her face. She took a shower and felt even better once she was dry and clothed. She didn't have work and was planning on meeting Team Skull at the beach again for the island tour. Plum had suggested that they meet at the hidden rocks since it was only going to be a small group.

Nia tugged at the sleeves, remembering the bruises under them. They were almost healed and soon she'd be able to wear short sleeves again. It made her smile just to imagine the cute tops she had seen in the stores on her.  
She grabbed a colorful shoulder bag and swung it on as she left and locked the door behind her. It only had her lotion and wallet in it, but she was also hoping to fill it with shells and pretty rocks.

And hopefully a Pokeball or two.

She raced to the beach, only stopping to cheerfully say good morning to her Boss. He waved back and gave her a tired smile. She planned on asking him what was wrong later.  
She nearly tripped in the sand a couple of times, before she slowed down and walked the rest of the way. As she approached the rocks, she could make out 3 familiar voices arguing.

"Really? You got her that ugly ass fish?"

"H-hey it evolves into a super pretty Pokemon! Besides you got her that walking death trap."

"HEY! Poison types have their own charm and it'll be able to protect her till Boss's Pokemon evolves."

"Will you two stop yer bitchin'?! She's gonna be here any minute. Besides you both did good, so shut tha fuck up!"

At this she cautiously stepped into the circle of rocks with an even more cautious smile.  
Guzma, Plum and K all looked in her direction. K looked embarrassed, but Plum's face cracked a smirk as she held up a Pokeball. It was obviously her gift to Nia, since it had her name on it in Plums handwriting. Guzma also had a Pokeball in his hand, but his had a hand drawn Team Skull symbol with her name emblazoned along the curve of the skull. K's hands were in his pocket, rummaging nervously as he pulled out a Pokeball. This one had her name on it, but the "I" was dotted with a heart.

Nia's eyes lit up and she grinned ear to ear. She opened her mouth to speak, to thank them, but her voice cracked and tears ran down her face. Plum grabbed her without hesitation, hugging her tight as the tears fell faster and she wept harder. Guzma gently patted her head and K rubbed her back as she cried until she had no more tears to spill.

"Th-thank you...thank you so much"

It was barely a whisper, but all three felt their hearts swell with pride and joy.

Finally she wiped away the tears and beamed at them as they handed her each Pokeball. 

Guzma's was a Wimpod which he assured her would evolve into a Golisopod. It let her pet it after a few tense moments and even licked the salt off of her fingers causing her to giggle. She watched him skitter around before finally coming up with a name. She gently patted his head and whispered, "I'm going to name you Dusty" The Wimpod seemed to think about it before scurrying up her arm and resting between her shoulder blades. Guzma explained that they could crawl on just about any surface, but especially loved resting on their trainers. Apparently his used to rest on his head, its little legs tangled in his hair.

Plums was next. Her's was a Mareanie and it popped out of its ball with a spin, landing in front of her with grace. Plum explained that it was a Poison type, but the only spine that was poisonous to humans was the head spine. Nia stared intensely into Mareanies eyes before cautiously extending her hand. The Mareanie gently placed one of her head tentacles into her hand and cooed, being careful not to poke her new master. Nia gently scratched under Mareanies chin before speaking, "I'll name you Maddy" Maddy cooed at her new name and nipped Nias fingers playfully. Dusty peeked over her shoulder and skittered to Maddy. Maddy booped Dusty gently with a tentacle and Dusty chittered happily.

  
K's was a Feebas. It sat on the sand and flopped a little as she pet its side. She had no idea how a fish Pokemon could sit upright on the sand, but she wasn't going to question it. Feebas's skin was rough and scaly, almost like it was burned as well. She smiled softly at it as K nervously told her about Feebas and why he picked it. Apparently it could evolve into one of the most beautiful Pokemon, but required an item he couldn't find yet. 

"I prefer Feebas like this actually."

Her answer stunned all three of them and they glanced at each other in silence. She gently patted its top fin and stated calmly, "And your name will be Phoebe" It burbled happily and flopped in the sand making her giggle. Dusty and Maddy pushed close, begging for pets as well.

It was K who suggested getting food before the tour officially started. At the mention of food, all three Pokemon complained loudly. Nia laughed and promised them food, before sending them back to their balls for easier transport.

They headed to the nearest Malasada shop for breakfast and let out all their Pokemon once Plumeria assured the cashier that they were actually gonna pay this time. Nia was surprised to see Guzma's Golisopod immediately rush to her and give her a hug, trilling happily. Guzma huffed with jealousy before tugging Golisopod away, grumbling about his rep.

They had to buy the malasadas to go, since some of their Pokemon were too big to even get through the doors. Once they found a secluded hill nearby they all sat down for breakfast. Golisopod had a whole bag to itself, which it happily tore into. Nia was enchanted with Plums Salazzle and commented on how they had similar personalities. K's Raticate fell asleep after gorging itself with malasadas, so K used it as a big fluffy pillow.  
Dusty circled her happily as she fed him bits of Malasada ripped up into bite sized pieces. Maddy kept trying to steal the pieces so it turned into a game of who could get more malasadas. Nia laughed as she tossed malasada bits into the air, watching her Pokemon catch them. Phoebe couldn't really join in the game, so instead Nia hand-fed her malasada bits, chuckling when her fish tried to eat the malasada whole.

They took her all over the island. They showed her a beach she could train at as well as all the Team Skull hideouts for just in case. She also found out that Melemele island was a hotspot for Guzmas trauma. Golisopod hovered around him and patted his back whenever a dark scowl crawled across his face. Guzma would smile a fake cocky smile at the big bug and shrug it off, assuring the Pokemon that he was fine. She gravitated to him, wanting to do something to make him feel better. Finally she grabbed the edge of his sleeve gently and gave him a small smile, hoping he understood. He was shocked and went to pull away, but he stopped and let her hold onto his sleeve. He didn't know why he let her, but it felt nice.

It was twilight when they arrived at the street she lived on. She was unbelievably happy. She had laughed a lot that day and the beautiful sunset warmed her heart. They were walking slow, extending the time they had left. They were talking about how they met their Pokemon when her apartment came into view.

Nia stopped and fell to her knees, fear and shock gruesomely painting her face. They looked and saw a big, gruff, muscular man with a crewcut standing in front of her apartment arguing with her Boss. Boss's fists were clenched tight around a cell phone that cracked under his grip.

 

They saw the man and circled around Nia defensively.

Nia saw the Arcanine and wept with fear.


	7. Lifes not fair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do hope you noticed the new tags. I also hope you keep in mind that a happy ending is still promised.
> 
> Everything is going to be ok.

Nia's reaction clued them in on who the man with the Arcanine was.

  
Her stepfather was as tall as the Arcanine, making her Boss look tiny in comparison. Both Pokemon and person were covered in scars. The Arcanine had one blind eye and slashes across its muzzle. It caught their scent and turned to the little group surrounding Nia protectivly. It barked once to catch its owner's attention and nuzzled the large man. He fed it a treat and turned, giving them a smile that would've warmed anyone's heart if they didn't see his eyes. His brown eyes were cruel and calculating, flicking over the Team Skull members before landing on Nia.

"Nia..." His voice was soft as velvet, mimicking concern. K looked at Nia out of the corner of his eye, suddenly suspicious. He seemed nice enough, but Guzma slapped his shoulder and whispered, "Don't let him fool you. I've seen that look before. That's not the look of someone that cares."

K gulped and stared ahead at the man and his Arcanine. He trusted his Boss to know that this man's words were going to be lies.

The man finally turned back to her Boss and asked, "What has she told you? She is very sick you know. She needs to be at home with me and her mother."

  
Her Boss shook his head and yelled defiantly," She's not going anywhere with you. I've seen the scars and bruises. How dare you sick a Pokemon on another living person?! Especially your child!"

Her step-father sighed and recited his best lie, the one that usually convinced everyone.

"She is sick. She gave herself those scars and bruises. She is a pyromaniac and pathological liar. She will often harm herself to support those lies. I even have her medication with me if you'd like to see them."  
This time her Boss yelled loud enough to be heard down the street, anger filling him to to the brim, " BULL SHIT! I'VE SEEN HER IN THE KITCHEN! SHE JUMPS AWAY FROM EVERY FLAME SHE SEES! ALMOST EVERY NIGHT SOMEONE WAKES UP BECAUSE SHE SCREAMS IN HER SLEEP! SHE SCREAMS FOR YOU TO STOP HURTING HER AND BURNING HER EVERY NIGHT! YOU'RE THE SICK ONE, TRYING TO TAKE HER BACK JUST TO HURT HER MORE! WHAT KIND OF PIECE OF SH-KKCCghghkeh"

Her stepfather had reached his limit. His meaty hands wrapped around her bosses throat effortlessly and he watched him struggle to breathe with a malicious grin. 

Nia finally awoke from her panic and grabbed the nearest arm. Plumeria looked down at the scared girl and tried to wipe away her tears. Nia slapped her hand away and choked out, "You guys...you have to run...Please Run!"

  
Guzma heard her and patted the top of her head, pulling his hair with his other hand. He gave her a cocky smile and stated proudly, "Don't worry, we got this. I told ya before that I'd kick his ass didn't I?" She let go of Plumeria's arm to pull on his instead, still crying and trying with all her might to get them to run.

  
"No! You...You don't get it! He won't fight fair! He'll tell Beowulf to attack you instead of your Pokemon! He'll get Beowulf to pin you so he can break your bones! Please just RUN!"

Guzma's brow furrowed and his stare shifted from cocky to predatory. He whispered to her, "Ya think ya boi is weak, Nia?" Her face blanched and she hesitantly shook her head no. He gently pried her fingers from his arm, and whispered into her ear, " Then watch ya boi kick ya old mans ass. Golisopod will make sure that old mutt won't burn you again either." She started to protest again when he covered her mouth with his hand and muttered, "Relax. Ya boiz got this." She couldn't speak as he walked away, preparing to face the man that had tortured her most of her life. 

Plumeria followed him, leaving K to stay by Nias side. She gravitated towards him and instinctively grabbed his hand. Her grip hurt, but K endured it, knowing that she needed this. He just wished that the first time they held hands was under better circumstances.

Nia's Boss was finally unconscious when they approached her stepfather. He let go of her boss and asked, "Are you going to try and stop me too, boy?"  
Guzmas face was solemn as he pulled out Golisopods pokeball. The Arcanine, Beowulf, moved forward getting between the two of them. Her step-father smiled wryly and turned to Plumeria who stood at Guzmas side. "Two v One? Not very fair don't you think?"

  
"We heard ya don't play fair."

His gaze went beyond them, staring sharply at his daughter before he smiled and snickered. "There's no point trying to lie to you children. I'm not going to take that trash back home. I'm going to make sure she can't come home."

Plumerias face twisted with horror and rage. She whipped out her own Pokemon as Guzmas Golisopod burst from its own pokeball. It looked back at Guzma and roared at her step-dad, angry and distraught at the horror on its trainers face. Guzma snapped and called out attacks in time with Plumeria. Plums Golbat sent wave after wave of air blades at the Arcanine, barely cutting it's skin. Golisopods First Impression knocked Beowulf onto its back legs, but came back down with a Bulldoze, right onto Golisopods head.

They fought ferociously with Beowulf sneaking between attacks to try and attack the trainers. Nia couldn't take it anymore when Plumerias arm was gashed open by its claws.

She fought against Ks grip as she tried to run to them, willing to stop the fight even if it meant she had to die like her step-father wanted. They had been so kind to her, more than she deserved. Her Boss was already hurt because of her and she couldn't take it anymore.

  
She broke free right as Beowulf pounced onto Guzma. Its teeth were bared, but waited for his masters order. She body checked the Arcanine, forcing her arm into its mouth so it couldn't bite Guzma. Guzmas eyes were shut, waiting for the bite when he heard her step-dad say, "Rip her apart"

His eyes flew open in time to see Nia holding it back before the Arcanine ripped her arm from its socket, spraying blood across the pavement and onto his face. Her scream could be heard all throughout the town, scaring tourists and natives alike. Her face was white as she grasped at the space where her arm was. She could see Plumeria and Guzma screaming, but she couldn't hear them. Her Pokemon had popped out of their balls at the sound of her scream and were staring at her in shock. Down the street she could see the cops running towards them. She smiled softly at her pokemon and whispered, "Everything's gonna be ok"

She whited out.


	8. Aftermath

The wait was agonizing.

  
Sitting in the waiting room while waiting for news on Nia was torture for all involved. Her Boss sat across from Team Skull in silence, both unsure of how to talk to the other.

Plumeria's arm was bandaged, but she kept rubbing it and tapping her foot impatiently. Besides these little movements, her face was a blank mask. To anyone who didn't know her she looked unconcerned and just bored. To her friends, she was holding everything back and slowly processing her emotions.

K was the opposite. He was a complete mess. His fingers clenched and unclenched repeatedly, wrinkling his pant legs with every grasp. His eyes were still wide open with shock. Besides panic, no one could tell what he was thinking.

Guzma...Guzma was a quiet mess. He was sitting forward with his bloodied shirt in his hands. Nia's blood instead of his. _"What was she thinking? What was she thinking when she saved him from her abuser?"_ His mind was chaos and he had tugged at his hair so much, that he had a small clump of it in one hand. His mind was full of shoulda, coulda, and woulda's.

Each one of them blamed themselves.

A nurse finally came in and addressed both groups. All heads swivelled her way and they stood up, fear and anticipation in their eyes.

"She'll be ok"

Everyone sighed with relief before the nurse continued.

"We reattached her arm, but we'll be needing skin grafts to seal it up properly. I'm assuming the man they arrested gave her those burns?"

Plumeria nodded as K and her Boss looked at the nurse both in confusion. The nurse nodded in acknowledgement before continuing.

"We will have to get the skin grafts from her inner thighs because of the extensive burn damage, but it should heal just fine. She might have some problems with mobility because of the pins in her arm, but besides that she shouldn't have any problems. Whose idea was it to freeze the arm after wrapping it?"

Plumeria raised her hand gently before letting it flop back to her side. She had been nonverbal for several hours now.

"That was good thinking. If you had freezed it without wrapping it, we wouldn't have been able to use it thanks to frostbite. Also ummm..." She flipped through her notes before finding the right name, "Guzma? We can give you your jacket back, but it is bloodstained and not very sanitary."

"Just...toss it. I have another one."

"Alright" She scribbled down his answer in her notes before continuing.

"Unfortunately we will have to hold her for a couple of weeks to let her heal. Her Pokemon are allowed to stay, but it is better if they are babysitted by someone instead. She doesn't have any... trustworthy relatives in Alola so it is up to you four."

Her Boss finally spoke up.

"You were the ones that gave her them today right?"

Plumerias eyes met his before nodding and K elaborated.

"She said she didn't have any..."

"Thank you."

Team Skull looked up in shock at the older man. Not many had thanked them before. They had all expected him to give them a lecture on stealing Pokemon.

"She's been looking forward to it all week. It was nice to see her smile."

He paused and continued."I've never had a problem with you kids and your gang. I know all of you have reasons for leaving home and banding together. Especially when most people in the region don't like you."

They stared at him in disbelief, unsure of what to say.

"One of my daughters...well I guess he's my son now is in your gang. I approve, but my wifes side of the family doesn't. He texts me all the time telling me about how he is and how his Vullaby is doing."

He started to walk away before saying, "I think you three should take care of her Pokemon. They'd be happier and get more exercise than with me."

K finally spoke up and asked," Who's your son?"

He paused for a moment to think before stating, "I think he said you call him L. I need to ask him what his new name is now that I think about it."

He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text before sighing and adding cheerfully, "Wish me luck. I have to go face my wife's wrath now. She's pissed I got involved with your teams hijinks."

K went to say something, but the large man shushed him with a hand and said, "Hey. It's ok. It's not the first time she's gotten mad at me for something stupid." With a laugh he walked away, leaving them in silence.

The nurse coughed a quiet ahem and grabbed their attention.

"She woke up once already and asked that you three be allowed to see her. It's unconventional since you aren't blood related, but since those who are are....well locked up, the Dean approved it."

She handed them a slip of paper with visiting hours on it and asked for their phone numbers.

"We will call you once she wakes up from surgery. All of you should go home and rest.It's been a rough day for all of you."  
She handed them the Pokeballs they gave Nia that morning and left to do her other duties.

They headed back to Po Town in silence. Nia's surgeries had forced her to be relocated to a hospital on Ula'Ula, but it worked out for everyone.

The rain reflected their moods as they entered Po Town and separated. Plumeria went to talk to her Salazzle in private, while K headed to his room to talk to his roommates.

Guzma went to his room and drank the night away, locking the door and talking only to Golisopod.

  
The next day everyone in Po Town knew what happened and stayed out of Guzmas way. They flocked to Plumeria and K instead, wanting to know more about the girl who lost an arm protecting their big bad Boss. There were no secrets from the Grunts and eventually all knew her story.

Nia slept dreamlessly for a week before waking and asking for her friends.


	9. Accepting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all have been reading the chapter notes, because I'm curious.  
> Who is your favorite character so far? This isn't going to be one of those things where I kill off the least/most favorite. I'm not George R. R. Martin. I'm just curious. I made a strawpoll and everything:
> 
> http://www.strawpoll.me/12447292
> 
> Oh and for those that what to follow my random ass tumblr here ya go:
> 
> http://shiny9tails.tumblr.com/

All three of them ran to the hospital when the call came. A couple of curious Grunts watched them go, but prefered to stay and gossip rather than actually find out what made them run.

  
Nia was eating a berry cup when they crashed through her door. Her head snapped up toward the noise, unconsciously turning her spoon around so the handle was held like a shank. She relaxed once she realized it was her friends barrelling towards her. She accepted their hugs and was surprised when Plumeria shook her gently, growling at her to "Never scare her like that again"

Guzma held back however until she reached out to him, making grabby hands and demanding a hug. His hug was awkward, but she gripped him tight whispering in his ear, "I'm glad you're all right" His hands gripped the back of her gown before whispering back, "You really worried about cha big boi Guzma? Your boi can handle anything, even a big mean old mutt."

She giggled and hugged him tighter, indulging one of her inappropriate thoughts by burying her head into his shoulder. He smelled like cigarettes, heavy cologne and a bit of booze. It made her head feel heavy.

She must've held him a little too long because when she let go his face was tinted red. Even the tips of his ears were a little red. 

"We're um....We're happy to see ya awake."

Nia smiled and asked them how they were. Plum showed her arm, which was healing but would probably scar. Nia gently touched her wrist agonizing over the wound.

"I should've jumped in sooner."

Plumeria patted her head with her free arm and tried to calm her.

"No..no lil sis. You would've gotten more hurt and the cops might not've gotten there in time."

K and Guzma's faces were dark as they thought of that night. Guzma turned his back on them and muttered something about "not needing cops" Plumeria kicked the back of his calf gently as if to say, "Not now you idiot" K stared at his feet before whispering, "I should've held you tighter. I should've stopped you"

Nia turned her attention toward him and stated proudly, "It was my decision K. It was my own fault I got hurt. You may regret letting me go, but I'm happy you did. I lost my arm for a couple of hours, but I stopped Beowulf from harming Boss."

She grinned as they stared at her in confusion for a few seconds before Plumeria spoke up.

"Did you call Guzma...Boss?"

"Ya. That what all the Grunts call him right? I'm gonna have to start calling him that too."

Guzma turned around and stared at her stunned until he finally asked, "So...you're accepting my invite to be part a Team Skull?"

"Yup." She grinned broadly before continuing, "I hope you have a spare uniform for me."

Everyone's face lit up and the hugged her all over again, overjoyed that she accepted. When they finally backed off she continued. 

"It will be a little while though...I have to go back to Unova for the Court Trial, but the cops that visited stated that my ride there and back will be paid for. I'll be gone for a couple of months...maybe a year, but I promise to come back!"

The room had an awkward aura now. A year? It just seemed so long away. Finally Plumeria sighed and patted Nia's shoulder gently.

"We'll be sure to keep ya a spare uniform till then lil sis."

She thanked her and turned to K. K scratched the back of his head and muttered something like, "Come back as soon as you can..."

Guzma had his back turned again, but one hand was in his hair again and his foot was tapping in thought. Finally he huffed and said, "I did tell ya the invite don't expire. Kinda nice to know you're coming back in advance." He started to stomp to the door, but before he left he turned and grumbled, "Ya better bring me a souvenir sweetheart!" He left the room in a huff scaring Nia a bit. It took a little while before Plumeria was finally able to calm her down and explain that was how Guzma was when he couldn't process his emotions.

"Really though you better bring us souvenirs."

They laughed and she promised them top quality souvenirs. They talked a little longer, mostly just what trouble Grunt A,B, and C were getting into or the gossip some of the Grunts were talking about. Nia was embarrassed that she was being talked about, but she smiled when K told her about all the praise she was given.

Finally they left but not without leaving her Pokeballs behind. She opened them after they left and greeted all three water types. Dusty refused to let go of her and Maddie looked her over from head to toe, gnashing her teeth at the bandages. Phoebe wiggled her fins at Nia until Nia picked her up and held her gently. She burbled concern and Nia spoke to all of them gently.

"I'll be fine guys. The doctor says I'll be able to keep my arm."

All three Pokemon sighed, and climbed into her arms all speaking their names in concern over their trainer. Tears trailed down her cheeks and she gently kissed each of their foreheads.

"I'm sorry you all saw that. I didn't want that sight to be part of our first day together. I have a very scary man as an enemy, but thankfully you guys won't have to ever fight him. He's...he's going to go away for a long time."

They snuggled into her and cooed gently. She hummed a song to them, a song that she'd forgotten the lyrics. They all fell asleep and so did she, happy to have them in her arms.

While she slept, the nurses moved her to a room with an aquarium so she could keep her Pokemon out of their balls. She woke up for a little while, but only enough to transfer the sleepy Pokemon into the aquarium. She gave them all a gentle pat and they all went back to sleep, dreaming of only good things.


	10. See you later, not Goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof. Real life had me by the balls for a while. I don't plan on stopping anytime soon though so please stay patient for new chapters ^^  
> I hope you enjoy =D

The next couple of weeks went painfully slow, but eventually she was released to the International Police.   
During her time in the hospital, all three of her friends visited and swapped phone numbers. 

Plumeria visited the most, stopping by to check on her. They would talk a little and watch Maddy and Salazzle have a sass-off, which usually ended with Dusty attempting to trip the two strutting Pokemon. They would laugh and the water Pokemon would be returned to the aquarium, before they would sit quietly next to each other and listen to music Plum had on her phone. Nia would fall asleep leaning against Plums shoulder and Plumeria would have to ease Nia's head onto a pillow before leaving. She enjoyed her time with Plum even if it was quiet.

K also visited but he seemed nervous around her now. They talked about it, and he admitted to still feeling guilt over not holding onto her. She would hug him tightly and hold his hand tight for the rest of the visit. She would also talk to Phoebe as if he wasn't there, teasing him gently about his worries. Phoebe endured this and blubbed when spoken to, indulging her trainer. Eventually K would laugh and Nia would make fish lips at him,teasing him more. K had to restrain himself from leaning forward and kissing her more than once. She didn't restrain herself as much. Often he would come back from the bathroom to find her wearing his jacket. Usually her excuse was that she was cold and his jacket was warm from his body heat. His roommates would tease him when he got back because she would usually leave a note for him to find in his jacket pocket. It would say little things like "Thanks for hanging out with me today" or "The nurse gave me an extra lollipop. I want you to have it". He would read these notes and smile.

Guzma didn't visit often. He still visited, but it was only two to three times in the couple of weeks. She was still happy to see him and so was Dusty. Dusty and Golisopod would eat snacks together as their trainers tiptoed around each other. Guzma could never say what was bothering him, but Nia knew it was the fact she was leaving. Whenever Guzma couldn't talk, K or Plum would explain why to her. She was a bit jealous that they knew each other so well. She would shrug and tell herself that she would have plenty of time to get to know them when she got back. Guzma refrained from touching her most of the time, unlike the other two. At most he would pat her head when he left and she would smile up at him. His heart would jump and he'd leave in a hurry, trying not to show the blush on his face. She would wonder quietly if he'd act differently when she came back.

  
She'd often think about how all three of them made her feel when they touched her. She would sigh softly and convince herself that she was touch-starved instead of falling for them. She would dream of kissing them, wondering what it would feel like, how their kisses taste. She would awake from these dreams sweating, convinced that they'd disappear when she was back in Unova. She didn't want these dreams to end, but they confused her and frightened her a little. She didn't want to come back with high hopes and then see them dashed. So she pushed these thoughts aside and tried to forget how much she wanted to embrace her three friends.

The day finally came for her to leave and she said goodbye to them at the docks. She'd have to take a boat to a man-made island before hopping onto a plane to Unova. She had all three of her Pokeballs tucked away in her bag, all three of the Pokemon had already said goodbye and were now sleeping. She hugged her friends tightly as she said goodbye. K was teary eyed, but put up a front, telling her not to worry about him. Guzma was silent, but he hugged her all the same. The only time he spoke was in her ear as he whispered, "Ya promise ya comin' back?" She whispered a tiny, "I promise" before holding him even tighter, squashing a sudden urge to kiss his cheek. Plumeria was also quiet, but she seemed hopeful. Nia gave her a big hug and Plum ruffled her hair, "See ya next year ya dork." Nia smiled broadly and promised to bring back souvenirs for the millionth time.   
She hated turning her back on them, but she had to step onto the private ferry into Internationals custody. She waved as the boat pulled away and kept waving until they were out of sight. Her heart hurt, but she knew she'd be back.

And she was....

But it was a year and three months instead of the 6 months they promised her.


	11. Home again

Nia was reclining in a patio chair on a ferry back to Ula'Ula. She ran her fingers through her hair and silently cursed her mother and the lawyers she hired. It was because of her that the trial lasted so long.

  
The bitch had the audacity to side with her husband again, claiming that Nia was a pyromaniac and severely mentally ill. Thankfully her ex-boss and the two police officers came all the way to Unova just to appear as eye witnesses. That still didn't stop her mother from dragging her through the mud and putting her husband on a pedestal. As an ex-Champion he had a lot of connections and many people respected him, while she was a nobody that a couple of bribed doctors labeled as a pyromaniac and self harming. She had to take at least 5 different tests just to confirm that she wasn't that type of mentally ill. She was mentally ill, but as an abuse survivor instead of the claimed pyro.

The last straw was one of the last days in court. She had just sat down next to her lawyer when her mother snapped. Nia had just finished being questioned and her lawyer had successfully trapped her father in a corner. It looked like she could finally return to Alola. Her mother strode to her with purpose however, and slapped her across the face out of her chair. Before security could get to her, she had stomped on Nia enough to break a rib or two while screaming that Nia was ungrateful and a whore.

Security dragged her away and she was charged with assault and battery, but it also meant extra court days for Nia and a couple of months in the hospital.  
She kept in touch with Guzma, K, and Plum, but they had slowly stopped texting and calling her back. She was sure they were just busy, but she still worried. She had sent all three a message, telling them she was coming back today, but none of them answered her back. As she rested in the chair she worried silently. She touched the Pokeballs in her bag for comfort. Her Pokemon had been looking forward to coming back to Alola, even though they had enjoyed Unova. 

She had mostly stayed in Castelia City, but she had gone to Virbank City, just so she could get a souvenir for Plumeria. She had asked the Poison Gym Leader Roxie, if she could film one of her performances for Plum. She was happy to oblige and even signed the CD afterwards. Guzma was getting an Anorith fossil she found at an antique shop and K was getting a shit ton of shirts with Pokepuns on them. He loved wearing the shitty humor shirts.  
The ferry pulled into port and she gathered up her luggage. Her heart pounded in her chest as she exited the ferry into the little terminal. She sighed in relief as she spotted Plumeria on her phone, sitting far away from everyone else. She approached her softly and gently pulled on one of Plums pigtails to get her attention. Plum looked up at her sharply, but her eyes soften once she recognized Nia. She pulled Nia into a big hug and whispered, "It's so good to see you Nia."

"It's good to see you too Plum."

They finally pulled away and Nia asked where the others were. Plum sighed and explained, "Guzma's nursing a hangover and K is on a mission on Poni Island.They got into an argument 'cuz K wanted to meet ya here, but Guzma put his foot down. He's...he's been having a hard time lately."

Nia looked up at Plum nervously and Plum gestured for her to follow her. "I'll tell ya back at Shady House. As ya can probably tell, no one wants us here." Nia looked around and caught the sidelong glances of a couple of people, one of them holding their child close.

Nia followed her out of the terminal and Plum led her out of town silently.Plum activated a Ride pager she didn't have last year and they climbed onto the Charizard that flew in. This Charizard looked like it belonged strictly to Team Skull. It had the bandana tied to its neck and was wearing a double saddle. When Nia asked about it, Plum explained that one of the Grunts was a whiz with electronics and they had tamed a Charizard that had been abandoned by its rider in a forest with a ripped wing. As far as the Ride Committee knew, this Charizard was dead.

The Charizard huffed and gave Plum a gentle lick on the cheek. She smiled and gently patted the dragon before getting it to take off.  
They landed in Po Town, right outside Shady House. It was raining as usual, but thanks to the Charizards landing skills, they barely got wet. Nia fed the Charizard a poffin in appreciation before entering the Mansion behind Plum.  
She knew Shady House was going to be decrepit but she hadn't expected this. Every surface had graffitti and all the furniture was piled in strange piles. The chandelier on the stairs drew her attention and she asked Plumeria how anyone got upstairs. Plums curt answer was, "Lots of unnecessary climbing."

She smirked at Nia and led her to the room she'd be staying in. She didn't have any roommates yet, but it was an inevitability. Nia set her luggage on a bed and coughed slightly as dust poofed up from the sheets. Plum pointed her to her new uniform on the bedside table and left the room so Nia could change.

Nia was thankful she was given pants instead of the trademark shorts, but still felt weird in a tank top. She'd gone most of her life covering the bruises on her arms, but now her arms were blemish free. She put on the rest of the outfit, marveling at the huge skull necklace and the arm bands. The necklace felt heavy on her chest, but she hoped it would become second nature soon.

She came out of the room and did a twirl for Plumeria. Plum smiled wryly before stating "It kinda suits ya Nia." Nia blushed and stuttered a thanks before Plum showed her around. It was a bit of a maze, but Nia felt confident she could navigate the mansion. Plum pointed out her room and K's as well as the kitchen and bathroom, before climbing onto the roof. They navigated back into the second floor, finally stopping at Guzma's door.

"I gotta wake up the trash-baby, gimmee a sec." 

Nia chuckled as Plum threw the door open. She watched with interest as she ripped the blankets from the bed, effectively forcing Guzma to tumble out of bed. He was only wearing Wimpod printed boxers and a tank top with his glasses still in his hands. Plum threw open the blinds and he squirmed on the floor, screaming about how Plum was the spawn of Giratina. He finally got his glasses on and sat up, still muttering about Plumeria.

Nia's chuckles grew louder until she was desperately holding her hands over her mouth, trying to cover her giggles. Guzma looked up at her blearily and grumbled, "What chu laughing at shortstack?"

Nia finally dropped her hands and beamed at Guzma. His heart rocketed into his throat and his face reddened. Plum could feel her own heart speed up at the sight of Nia's smile.

"It's just so good to see you again Guzma."

Guzma blinked, rubbed his eyes and blinked again before grinning as well.

"Couldn't stay away coulda sweetcheeks?"

She strode over to him and sat in his lap, hugging him tightly. Guzma couldn't help but bury his face in her hair as they hugged, his fingers curling into her back.

"Nope. I'm here to stay."


	12. Getting Settled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, life has been kicking my ass and it's left me drained. Finally got around to the next chapter so i hope to write the next ones soon.  
> Enjoy <3

Nia broke the hug and told them she'd be back. She rushed through the mansion back to her room and grabbed her bag. She had been looking for a moment to give them the souvenirs. Regrettably, she'd have prefered to give them the gifts with K there, but she didn't know when he'd be back and she was excited.

On the way back she almost slipped on the slick roof, but she grabbed the drain pipe in time. Tip toeing her way back to the window, she slipped in. Nia leaned against the wall and waited for her heart to stop ramming itself against her chest. She peeked back outside and silently wondered how many Grunts had fallen off the roof in the rain. Walking over to the stairs, she looked down the stairs and decided to make it a personal project to clear the stairs, even with the huge chandelier.

When she returned, Guzma was dressed and sitting on his throne, precariously balancing a laptop on his knees. Plum was lounging on his bed, texting on her phone. As Nia walked in, Plumeria glanced over at Guzma and repeated a text.

"K says he got the stupid flute."

Guzma grunted to confirm and muttered, "That was fast"

"Says no one was guarding it or nothing and the only trouble they had was from a crabby Jangmo-o"

"mhm, good. Tell him to get his ass back here. Gonna need to deliver the stupid thing personally"

Nia coughed lightly to get their attention and they looked up at her. Plum smiled and patted a spot on the bed next to her. Nia obliged and started opening up her bag. Guzma grinned and flopped as hard as he could on the other side of Nia, causing her to bounce up off of the mattress. He chuckled as she landed sprawled across their laps, and the bag hit the pillow with a thump. Plum sighed and handed the bag back to Nia as she tried to get up and sit properly.

Nia shoved Guzma before diving back into her bag. She handed Plumeria the CD, happy she had the foresight to wrap it in bubble wrap. She then picked up the Anorith fossil and dropped it unceremoniously into Guzmas hands.

"What's this, shorty?"

"It's a bug fossil... I-I thought you'd like it. I also heard there was someone in Alola who could revive it for you. Ya'know...if you wanted another Bug Pokemon..." She kicked her feet shyly and glanced at him through the corner of her eye.

Now he was staring at the fossil, fascinated by the thought of a new bug friend. He caught her glancing and ruffled her hair. 

"I love it, Nia. Gonna have to find that guy though. Had to give me a chore, eh?" He teased. She grinned up at him and laughed.

Plum smirked, happy that her friends were happy, before looking over the CD.

Nia went into full blurt mode and started to explain," I-I ah went to a c-concert in Virbank and they let me record it and and the lead singer signed it....I-I really thought you'd like their music and the the singer has only poison types and....and" Her voice hushed to a whisper as she finished,"I thought it was really cool" Her face was red from talking so fast and was relieved when 

Plum put a hand on top of her head.

"I'll have to copy it then. I don't want to wear out the disk."

Nia beamed at both of them and bounced on the bed in happiness.

"I also got K these shirts with puns on them. Do you think he'll like them?"

Plumeria scoffed and grinned at Nia, admiring the shine in her eyes. She looked so much better than when she left.

"You kidding me? He'll probably try to incorporate them into his uniform!"

They laughed hard until Guzma held his hands to his ears and groaned in pain. He still had the hearing sensitivity from his hangover. Plum gently patted his head and ruffled his hair, chuckling at his dumb butt.

Nia's stomach interrupted with a loud gurgle and she blushed as they stared at her and her tummy.

"Have you had lunch yet?" Plum asked in a surprisingly tender tone. Nia shook her head no and Guzma stood up to stretch. Plum gently took her hand and led her out of the room. Guzma followed after and all three slid down the banister to the kitchen, though Nia had to shimmy down on her stomach. They chuckled as she shimmied, but Plum reassured her that she'd teach her how to slide later.

A couple of Grunts were already in the kitchen, gossiping over sodas. They looked up as the trio entered, and waved at Plumeria and Guzma. They whispered faster as they saw Nia trail behind them, barely hiding their stares. Nia's gaze lowered to the floor and she started to wonder what they were whispering about her when Guzma shooed them out. Plumeria rubbed Nia's back and whispered to her, "You're new. They're just wondering about you."

Guzma grunted and muttered something about "lil bitches needing a lesson". Plumeria glared at him, but said nothing. She knew he was right. Those two were starting to cause trouble within the team and it needed to be dealt with. 

She had Nia sit down while they looked through the cupboards. From where Nia sat she could see a lot of junk food and frozens. From pizza rolls to chips, it seemed like they had everything that was unhealthy for you. Plum finally settled on making them all pork ramen with canned meat in it. Guzma grabbed all the ingredients she needed, while she washed up the mismatched dishes she needed.

Guzma sat down across from Nia while Plum worked. He leaned back and propped his feet on the table, somehow maintaining the delicate balance needed to relax like that. He seemed content to not say anything until he spotted the cocoa can on top of the fridge.

"Oh by tha' way, leave my Tapu cocoa alone Nia. It's that can on toppa' tha' fridge."

"ok...um- What is it anyways?"

Guzma's chair clattered to the floor as he swung his feet down, standing up and slamming his hands on the table. She flinched as he roared in bewilderment, "YA' DON'T KNOW WHAT TAPU COCOA IS????"

She hesitantly shook her head no and Guzma tromped over to the can of cocoa. He began washing his own set of dishes and rambled to Nia about how it was the best drink ever. Plumeria gave him the stove when she was done and he started clammering away, still babbling about how it was best with fresh Moo Moo milk, though they had condensed milk which was almost as good.  
Plumeria had a small devious grin on her face as she ate before winking at Nia. Nia blinked in confusion before Plum stated in a calm voice, "K likes it better with water."

Guzma's voice shook the mansion as he railed on and on about how K had no taste and about how it dulled the taste. Plum giggled as he raged and Nia had to admit, he looked kinda cute when he was babbling about something he liked. She wondered how long he would ramble if she brought up bug types and giggled out loud.

Finally Guzma sat down and handed Nia and Plum their own cups of cocoa. He sipped his between bites of ramen, thanking Plum for making food in between. Plum waited for hers to cool before sipping on it, smiling into the mug.

Nia sniffed it before taking a cautious sip. The creamy taste of chocolate enveloped her and her eyes sparkled with delight. She sipped it as fast as she dared and when she got to the bottom, she tried to lick the dredges. Guzma laughed at her and gave her a spoon so she could finish properly.

Plumeria tossed their dishes in the sink when they were done, taking the time to rinse them so shit wouldn't get stuck on them.  
They didn't have any missions for Nia since it was her first day, but they introduced her to some Grunts with water type pokemon before heading back to work. The grunts were pretty friendly and before she knew it, she was telling them how she met Plumeria with her Pokemon playing at her feet. She didn't even care that they were standing in the light drizzle until she started to shiver and went inside.

She talked to them late into the night, somehow instigating a welcome party in the process. She met more Grunts and had her first sip of booze. It wasn't to her liking so they teased her, but didn't go too far. She played video games with them and watched fascinated when there was a dance-off. She coyly admitted to being unable to dance and some of her new friends promised to teach her. The more drunk ones tried to teach right away but ended up laying on the ground, tuckered out after humping the air as hard as they could.

She was bushed when she finally went to bed. Her Pokemon were already sleeping in their balls when she closed the door behind her, after waving goodnight to some of her new friends. She stripped down and put on pj's with caterpie print. She slid under the covers and closed her eyes. She was almost asleep when an idea wormed it's way into her head.

She was alone for the first time in a while, and she felt a ball of heat flare to life between her legs.

Her face reddened as she thought of the last time she was alone. She stopped needing a police escort shortly after the trial, but was given one again when she made her way to the airport. She had tried a couple of things since then, things her parents told her never to do. It started out mundane, like jumping on the bed,but eventually she had found out what touching herself was like. She had made her way to the internet one day after an overly long shower and found the holy grail: Porn.

Nia cautiously began, trying to stay quiet as her fingers brushed against her pearl. She was still very sensitive and she rolled over with her face against the pillow. She cried out as her fingers gained purchase on her already engorged clit. Her fingers rolled the nub back and forth and she savored the rush of endorphins to her brain. One hand dipped into herself while the other rubbed her clit. Her hips twitched and ground against her hand until she came hard and muffled the scream into her pillow. She was too sensative to try again so she drifted off to sleep, dreams of gentle hands touching her intimately danced behind her eyelids.

K stood stock still outside her door, hand still raised to knock. His face was bright red as he finally lowered it and lightly touched the bulge in his pants. He had just gotten back from his mission and wanted to say hi to Nia before she slept, but... needless to say he didn't knock.

He rushed down the hall, looking for the spot that most of his roommates hid from everyone else. It was a tucked away door beneath the stairs, covered by a piece of ragged cloth. Unless you looked for it, it was hard as shit to find. He ducked into it and shut the door. Inside there was just enough room to sit or stand, with one wall painted with crusted cum. He hated using this place, but his roommates would ask berate him to use the closet until he was done. 

He freed his dick from his pants and started stroking. Fuck! He had thought of Nia as innocent, but hearing her muffled cries, filled his head with scenarios. Coming into her room and pleasuring her himself was the one taking the most brainpower.  
He sat down and grunted harshly as he stroked his cock fast. Nia calling his name... looking up at him as she sucked his dick with those wide innocent eyes... pounding her mercilessly into the bed until she came and came and came...

He came hard, shooting his seed onto the wall, adding his own spunk to the painting of lust. He was breathing hard as he stood and pulled his pants up.

Shit, how was he gonna face her tomorrow?


	13. Morning shenanigans

Nia slept peacefully through the night. Her nightmares were slowly, but surely becoming less frequent.

She awoke to Dusty nibbling on her hair. She smiled and extracted the little Wimpod from her head. Dusty trilled a good morning to her and skittered up her arm and around her shoulder to sit between her shoulder blades.

Nia scooped up her Pokeballs and shuffled her way to the kitchen. Dusty trilled happily the whole way there, sending vibrations up and down her spine. She was used to it now, but when Dusty first started trilling on her back it felt really weird. It had felt like shivers down her spine, but now it was like having a back massager gently pressed against her back.

She searched the kitchen for Pokefood and wasn't disappointed. It seemed like they had a whole storeroom devoted to pokefood. She found an open bag for water types and even a bag of food special set aside for Wimpods and Golisopods. 

After pouring the food into 3 dishes, she let out her pokemon and started searching for her own breakfast. Cereal seemed like an option until she smelled the milk. She gagged and went to throw it away but was met with a full trashcan. She sighed and put the milk back, deciding to take care of it and the rest of the trash after breakfast.

She decided on some breakfast pastries instead and watched her pokemon eat as she munched as well. She was happy that she wouldn't have to worry about food for her Pokemon, but food for herself might be a problem. Not a big problem, but still an issue.

A giggle from behind drew her attention and she was surprised to find the two whispering girls from yesterday. They were already dressed in their uniforms and were staring at her and giggling. Nia immediately felt self conscience about still being in her pajamas, but she ignored them and tried to focus on her Pokemon who were already almost done with their food.  
One plopped in the chair across from her however and started talking to her without restraint.

"Oh-my-GOD. I love your pj's! They're so cuuute!"

The other one was searching for food, but she squealed in agreement with her partner. Nia whispered a thank you and smiled shyly at them.

"But don't you think you're pandering a bit?"

Nia's face quirked with confusion and her face reddened as the girl continued.

"I mean it's pretty obvious you're trying to get Boss's attention. I mean, you've only been here a day, but you've been running around with a Wimpod, dressed in bug pj's , and followed them around at lunch. Just how desperate are you? I mean are you going to start dying your hair white too? "

Her friend chimed in, "It's pretty pathetic if you ask me."

"Your hair is even purple. Why couldn't you just dye it pink like the rest of us? You're so desperate for attention. It's kinda sad."  
Nia's hands were clenched tight, but she refused to cry. Her voice shaking, she called back her Pokemon and left. They yelled after her about how she was being so rude to leave during a conversation. Nia didn't care, she just needed to leave before she burst into tears.

She slammed her door behind her and finally cried. How dare they attack her like that! Guzma was her friend and had given her Dusty! Sure she had thought of him when she bought the pajamas but she genuinely liked them. And he had assured her she didn't have to dye her hair pink. She hated the stupid color so much. A memory of humiliation sprung to her mind of when she was little. It hurt her deeply just to think about it.

She stayed in her room until noon when a knock woke her from her gloom.

Plum entered quietly and shut the door behind her. She looked Nia over and gently cradled her. She didn't ask what happened, she just stroked Nia's hair as Nia wept into her shoulder. When she was done Plum asked Nia if she wanted to talk about it. Nia shook her head no. If she really thought about it, it was probably just 1st day hazing. At least that's what she convinced herself it was.

"I came to check on you since almost everyone's up now."

Nia nodded in acknowledgement and snuggled closer to Plumeria. There was something about her that was super comforting, but she couldn't place it. Maybe it was just because she was always so warm.

"You need help with your lotion?"

Nia nodded, but also croaked out, "I should shower first."

Plum chuckled and stated, "Well that's gonna be a problem."

Nia glanced up at Plum and listened as she explained.

"We can't heat up enough water for everyone to have a shower everyday, so we compromised. We heat up the pool every Sunday and everyone bathes at once, like one of those Kanto bath houses."

Nia's face changed to a ruby red and Plum laughed.

"You get used to it, but there are some people who wait til everyone is out to bathe. Some are just shy, but some..." she gently touched some of Nia's exposed bare skin "...some are like you and don't want others to know."

Nia nodded and finally stuttered out, "G-guess I sh-should lotion up th-then."

Plum smiled softly at her and waited for her to undress. Nia was happy for the help,but still felt embarrassed about undressing in front of her friend.

Plum wasted no time to start helping spread the lotion across Nia's back. Nia's mind wandered to her dreams as Plum's fingers gently pressed against her flesh. She had dreamed it was like this but even in places only she had touched. She shivered and was glad Plum couldn't see her face. 

Thankfully Plum had started telling her the situation at hand with Team Skull, like she promised yesterday. It helped distract her thoughts.

"Guzma won't be here for the rest of the day. He's gotta deliver a package to the people that hired Team Skull."

"Why not send a Grunt?"

"Doesn't trust anyone else with this. Plus the head bitch demanded his presence."

"Head bitch?"

"You know the Aether Foundation?"

"Not really..."

"They claim to help injured Pokemon, but they pay us to steal them."

"oh..."

"Their CEO is called Lusamine and she orders Guzma around like she owns him... pisses me off"   
Plums fingers dug in a little too hard, but Nia stayed quiet. This information was too interesting to pass up.

"She orders Guzma around? There's someone who can do that?!"

"I don't know how she does it. He'll start bitchin' one day and the next he's singing her praises."

"Weird..."

Plum finished up and wiped her hands off on her pants. Nia was sad to feel her hands leave her back, but she was almost done anyways.

"Oh what is my mission today by the way?"

Plum smiled and stated simply, "You'll be picking up more food with K. I saw the state of the fridge and already sent the spoiled food to the dumpster."

Nia smiled happily and got dressed in a hurry. She'd finally be able to give K his present! She scooped up the shirts and asked Plum where he was. Plum directed her to his room and Nia thanked her for her help.

Nia knocked and K was the one that answered the door.


	14. A little more about K

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get to learn more about K and how he joined Team Skull.

K heard the knock at the door and opened the door with a toothbrush still in his mouth. Plumeria had told him to expect one of the Grunts to arrive so they could go shopping, but out of all of them, he didn't expect Nia. Nia beamed up at him with a pile of folded clothes in her arms. His instincts screamed at him to shut the door, because somehow she knew what he had done, but he ignored his anxiety and waved her in. She sat down on one of the beds to wait while he finished brushing. She was babbling on and on about the souvenirs she brought back, which significantly appeased his anxiety.

" _She doesn't know...she doesn't know...How the hell would she know you idiot?!"_

He rinsed his mouth and walked back, trying his damnedest to stay cool and casual. She presented the shirts to him and smiled as he flipped through them. They brought a genuine smile to his face as he laid them out one by one on his own bed. "Shut your big Meowth", "Good Eeveening Gentlemon", and "I'm not weird, just a little Oddish" were just some of the silly puns on the shirts.

He stripped off his Team Skull tank and replaced it with the Oddish shirt without a second thought. He turned and Nia's face was a tamato berry red. He chuckled and blushed a little himself. "Sorry...I just...I really like them." He grinned sheepishly and shooed her out, explaining that they needed to be in normal clothes for shopping. Nia rushed back to her room, scooped up a pillow and screamed into it. She was not expecting K to strip in front of her and her mind was whirling with images of his bare chest and back. Why were so many of her friends good looking!? Her fingers twitched as she gripped the pillow even harder and she screamed into it again, trying desperately to ignore her hormones. Finally she threw the pillow at the wall and got dressed in normal clothes.

A couple of deep breaths later, she was out the door with an empty bag for groceries. K was by the front door with a backpack on. He was chatting with some other guys, but as she approached he seemed more and more peeved. She approached and many of them blatantly looked her up and down. K willfully ignored them and cheerily greeted her. One of them had eyebrow piercings and smiled cheekily at her.

"Sooo, this is the babe you've been gushing over all year, eh K?" K's mouth curled into a grimace and he rolled his eyes at the fellow Grunt. He sighed as the man wiggled his eyebrows at him and explained. "Nia meet Keaka, Keaka Nia. Nia, Keaka is one of my roommates. Keaka, Nia is the newest recruit and my good friend. Now we-" Keaka interrupted, "Whoa, you've been talkin about her for a year and you're just friends? K, you lolo? We've talked about this man."

K started to stutter out a response when Keaka waved away his response and instead focused on Nia. "Hey darlin' how bout you wait for K outside? I just wanna chat with him a sec." She glanced up at K who sighed and nodded. "Um..It was nice to meet you." As soon as she was out the door, Keaka wrapped an arm around K's shoulders and brought him close so he could whisper. "Oi man you fell hard for that little cutie and she doesn't even know? How dumb is she?" K pushed him away angrily and blushed hard. "She's not dumb! She'd just...she's just inexperienced.. with people in general, y'know?"

Keaka absorbed this new information before breaking out into a sick grin. "So...you planning on breaking her in? Hope ya got the guts K, cuz if you won't..." K's face twisted with grotesque horror and disgust. He grabbed Keaka by the collar and yanked him closer, twisting it with rage. K's voice was no louder than a whisper, but overflowed with venom, "If you lay a finger on her-"

"Hey man, I didn't say she wouldn't want it...Just that if you don't pop her cheri soon, someone else might. Don't worry man, I'll make sure she's begging for it before I fuck her senseless." Keaka chuckled, but before he could continue, K threw him to the ground and stormed outside. Keaka's laugh followed him out the door and echoed in his head.

"Like hell am I gonna let that creep touch her! This is the last fucking straw! I'm telling Plums as soon as we come back. Maybe even Guzma if I hafta..."

K hated going to them to settle things, but he couldn't settle this by himself anymore. Words and fists weren't going to get through Keaka's thick skull. When he set his eyes on someone, he'd hunt them down until they were just another conquest. All the other people he'd set on knew all about him and almost found being pursued as sexy. K unfortunately knew every detail about that. K had heard the rumors about Keaka early on, but tried to trust him since Keaka seemed to want an actual relationship. One night of drunken sex later and Keaka was chasing someone else.

Plums accidently had them rooming together,but K decided to be the mature one and told her not to worry about it. Besides this way he could keep an eye on the bastard. K was the only guy Keaka had chased and none of the other roommates knew about their shared past. K hated them as well since they were all still in the closet and avoided anything they deemed "gay". The only reason he stayed in that damn room was so that Keaka couldn't have his way.

Nia was at the gates to Po town with an umbrella that was obviously Grunt C's. It was a bright pink and had a Skitty print. She was talking to Grunt L or Leo as he was now known as. Nia was gushing over L's newly evolved Mandibuzz which strutted and poofed its feathers out in pride. Her smile and laugh was enough to calm him down as he approached. They left Po town together after saying goodbye to L.

K thought the silence between them was calming as they walked through the rain, until Nia cleared her throat. "Sooo... your roommate...um Keaka? You seemed pretty miffed with him....Did something happen?" K's blood boiled at the thought of Keaka but he took a couple of deep breaths and calmed himself.

"You um...you don't have to talk about it. I just-....talking helps sometimes."

"He was just being an asshole as usual."

"Oh" Nia was silent as she thought about earlier. She had many questions, but the one most prevalent was....embarrassing. After a few minutes of silence she finally spoke up.

"So...you talked about me...all year?" K's face flushed a bright pink and he coughed a bit before thinking of a half truth.

"Uh...ya. My roommates are busybodies. I just told them little things about you like how we met and how you were doing."

"Oh..ok" She smiled and chuckled, "I was afraid you were telling them more personal things or worse, showing them the scar photos I sent you."

"Never! Those pics are personal and I only talked about them with Plum. I know how self conscious you are. It took a lot of courage to show me." This at least was fully true. He had asked her why she doesn't go swimming and after a lot of talking, eventually she sent him an image of her in a one piece. He had only showed Plum and considered showing Guzma but Nia begged him not to. She wasn't ready for Guzma to see, especially since she saw how pissed he was at a couple of bruises. K respected her decision and still hasn't shown their big bad Boss.

"So you really didn't show Boss?"

"Really. You said no, plain and simple."

She smiled, glad to have put faith in the right person. They walked in comfortable silence through Ula'Ula meadow, the fog chasing their heels. The red blooms and fog made Nia think of fire and smoke, so she wrapped her arm in K's, cuddling up to him to ground herself. K blushed and cautiously held her hand, happy when she squeezed gently back. As they walked out of the meadow, Nia caught sight of a berry tree and jolted up. She dragged K towards it and babbled excitedly. "Oh right! While I was in Unova I found this cookbook for Pokemon treats. It was in the same antique shop I found Boss's fossil and the recipes only call for water and berries! Isn't that lucky?"

K laughed as she dragged him, amazed to see Nia with so much energy. Nia stopped in front of the tree and bashfully continued, "Actually I kinda wanted to make some later, and was gonna ask you to help me cook....if you don't mind...?" Her hopeful glance was heart-breakingly adorable and K said sure without a second thought. He was a little scared to think of what she could convince him to do if she ever broke out the Lilipup eyes.

She scooped up the berries without hesitation and dumped them in her bag. K ended up scolding her and teaching her about the vicious Crabrawler that liked to hide in berry piles. She apologized profusely and glared at every berry pile they saw after that. K dealt with the occasional Crabrawler with Raticate's help. K would reward Raticate with pokebeans and a couple of chin scratches before continuing on their way.

"By the way, how did you meet Raticate? Did you find him as a Rattata?"

"Um ya... I caught him when I moved here."

Nia's curiosity was palpable as she tugged his arm excitedly.

"You didn't tell me you moved to Alola! Actually..." Her excitedness died and she let go of his arm.

"You uh... Does this have to do with why you ran away?"

"Ya..." She didn't push, but she did return to holding his hand and after a minute K muttered "fuck it" and started to tell her about where he came from.

"I was born in Kanto to a couple of Team Rocket Grunts. When I was 11, Team Rocket fell and we moved all over the place to get away from the cops." He squeezed her hand and continued, rage building in his voice.

"Everytime I would try to start out on my journey we would move and after a couple of moves... They started to settle more and I would get my pokemon. I loved them, all of them. I wanted to become a Professor and study the different types, but..."

"I came home one day to find all of my Pokemon gone except a Rattata I just caught that I was training. I asked my parents and....and t-they..."

Nia squeezed his hand back as he tried not to crush her hand with his rage. "T-they sold them... We didn't even need the money, they just said that I was getting too attached to them. They said my Pokemon were weak because I coddled them. That-that they were NOTHING but TOOLS! Not partners. Not Friends. TOOLS."

K shook with rage and let go of Nia's hand. Instead he dug his fingers into his arms, the nails leaving bruises. Nia listened without a word, wishing she knew a way to help her friend. With a spark of inspiration, she remembered some breathing exercises she was taught and she stood in front of him. He stopped and after watching her for a second, followed her lead and breathed in time with her. His hands finally reached out for hers again and she took them. They stood quietly for a moment, just holding hands and breathing in time with the other. After a while he continued the story, whispering it with barely any emotion. Tears dripped from his face and Nia delicately wiped them away.

"We moved to Alola then...They sold my Rattata to some Alolan schmuck who'd never seen one from another region. I left and found Ralph starving to death." He held the Raticates ball tightly and held it to his chest.

"I shared every scrap of food with him from then on and we became good friends. I met Plum and Guzma when they were just starting Team Skull. Yes, we steal Pokemon, but they go to a sanctuary and everyone gives a damn about their Pokemon. Their family."

He laughed humorlessly, "They moved away. They left me here, but I don't give a damn anymore." He hugged Nia tight and whispered, "You're family now too. I won't let anyone harm you ever again...No matter what." Nia couldn't see it but there was a fierce hate in his eyes. He spoke while thinking of Keaka and anyone else that would dare hurt her. Nia hugged him back and cried happy tears, glad to finally have people that actually gave a damn about her and the people they called family.

"Now come on, We gotta buy some food from the Pokecenter and maybe scrounge up some food from the abandoned Thriftymart." Nia nodded and chuckled, "I thought we'd have to dumpster dive to be honest."

K laughed at the thought, "You lolo? We don't have a lotta trash in the first place. All the Grimer devour every piece of crap they can find!" K ruffled her hair and led the way, holding her hand once more. The alolan breeze and her hand in his made the day feel perfect, and untouchable.


	15. Poffin Pop!

They got what they needed and headed back. K pointed out Acerola as they passed the Trial entrance and they decided that today was not a good day for scavenging food. Nia was intrigued that such a tiny girl was a Trial Captain with Ghost types no less! K explained the z-crystals and trials as they walked with Nia hanging onto every word.

  
Nia remembered the chest of stones in Guzma's room and asked, "Is Guzma the Bug Captain?"

K's face contorted in confusion as he processed her question. It clicked and he couldn't control himself from laughing his butt off. Nia stared as he wheezed a little from the laughing fit.

"N-no Nia. N-not technically," he wheezed out. Nia was pouting as he stood back up. He didn't even remember falling to the ground he laughed so hard.

"Well why not? His dedication to Bug Pokemon is so obvious and he's super tough. Is it because of Team Skull?"

K gently patted Nia's head and explained tenderly, "You actually have it the other way around. He founded Team Skull because he didn't become Captain. He didn't even get a z-ring for his trials."

"Well that's dumb! Didn't you say everyone who starts their trail gets a z-ring?"

K sighed. It was pretty bizarre that Guzma didn't get a z-ring, but he wasn't alone. Some only got their z-rings at the end of the trials as a show of completion. Tapu Koko was the one who chose who got their rings and didn't.

"I don't know why Tapu Koko thought he should wait to get his z-ring, but I think it's one of the many reasons he hates Alolan traditions. Someone else was picked to be Captain and Guzma kicked their ass and drove them away. We've been collecting the Bug crystals to acknowledge his hard work and dedication even though he wasn't picked."

Nia nodded and found herself wanting to do the same for Guzma. It wasn't fair that he didn't get picked when he was obviously stronger and cared so much for his Pokemon.  
They reached Po Town and she gave the umbrella back to Grunt C when they went inside. She went into the kitchen and began putting food away while K went to report to Plumeria. He promised to be right back so they could start cooking.

He found Plumeria in her room, cuddling one of her dolls as she checked her phone. K shut the door behind him and Plum looked up from her phone. Her door was always open for the Grunts but if K was shutting it, it meant something bad. No one would disturb them while the door was closed.

She put down her phone and waited expectantly. K finally sat down in front of her and told her about Keaka and his threat.

Meanwhile Nia had grabbed her book and set it up on the table with the berry bag. She double checked the instructions and pulled out the necessary tools including the special pan she found with the book. As she looked through the kitchen, she opened a drawer and found an apron. It was black with the Team Skull logo printed all over it. She put it on without hesitation and pulled her hair back into a ponyta tail. She was all ready to go until she looked at the stove. It was a gas stove and that made her nervous. She knew the flames wouldn't harm her if she was careful, but it was still nerve wracking. She took a deep breath and steeled herself. She was the one who wanted to cook after all.

Something inside her sparked to life and she glared back at the stove. She refused to let her past control her. She wanted to do something and she was going to do it, trauma be damned! These treats were for her Pokemon and everyone else's Pokemon as well!

She stood up straight and set to work.

Plum thought carefully as K stared at her. K truly respected Plumeria. She was strong and smart and gave a shit about the people around her. She was beautiful in a different way than Nia but they both made K's heart beat fast and hard. He had considered asking Plum out before, but felt it would be awkward. She was everyone's "Big Sis" after all. He was happy to just be a part of her family. Even if his heart hurt when she smiled her rare smile at him.

"I'll warn her. Teach her what to look out for. Until he tries anything I can't bring it up to Guz."

"I know Plums. If he tries to trap her or anything though, I'm decking him and telling Guzma to kick his ass out."

Plum smiled gently at him and ruffled his hair. "I don't expect anything less from you K. Family doesn't hurt family, but if someone forces themselves on someone else? They aren't family anymore."

She helped him up and continued, "I'll also be telling Keaka to keep his new Hypno to himself. No one is pulling any of that shit."

K nodded and made to leave, but Plum nabbed the back of his shirt. He turned back to her and saw the sad look on her face.

"You do realize I can't do anything if she does fall for him, right? You'll have to back off too y'know."

K gritted his teeth. "I know. And...and I will. If she's happy." It hurt to say. It hurt to even think of Keaka and Nia together, but....if she was happy then that's all he could ask for.

Plum ruffled his hair again and shooed him out. She followed soon after to find Keaka and speak with him.

K trudged down the stairs and sighed. Maybe cooking with Nia would cheer him up.  
He entered to kitchen to find Nia in Plumeria's apron, intensely focused on a pot on the stove while Pheobe sat in a bowl of water on the counter, ready to use water gun if need be. He chuckled and she waved distractedly at him. He put on a spare apron and read the instructions in the book.

"You're making Poffins? Those are supposed to be really involved. Have you cooked them before?"

Nia nodded grimly. "I gave the last of my first batch to the Charizard to other day. Not used to a gas stove though. I already burnt the previous batch." She pointed to another pot which had a mass of grey goo stuck to the inside. K grimanced at the smell and stated, "I'm gonna take this out to the dumpster. I'm sure Mukky will still like it."

Nia glanced up at him, "Mukky? Is there a Muk in the dumpster?" K nodded and picked up the pot and a big spoon. "I think he's stuck in there but he doesn't seem to mind. He makes happy noises whenever we feed him trash." He left the kitchen with the goo in tow and Nia continued the conversation with Pheobe.

"You think he'll like it? I read that different Pokemon like different Poffins."

Pheobe blubbed and blew a bubble in response. Nia nodded in agreement.

"I still find it weird that you like the dry ones. Then again you are a water type... Dry flavors must taste really exotic to you, huh?"

Pheobe flapped her fins and cooed its name. It seemed to agree so Nia smiled and went back to the pot. K returned a few minutes later, holding a clean pot and no spoon.

"Big bastard loved the shit out of it. I had to give it the spoon or else it was gonna eat the pot whole!"

Nia laughed, "I'm glad he liked it so much. I might have to burn some more"

"No! You do that and we'll run out of dishes!" K was laughing as well. He glanced over her shoulder and was surprised to see the dough was a bright pink now. He helped her pour it into the pan and slid it into the stove. He set a timer on his phone before washing the pots so she could make another batch.

The smell of fresh baked bread wafted through the mansion, tinted with whatever flavor of berry was used. Skull Grunts and their Pokemon drifted to the kitchen, eager to find out what the delicious smell was. Thankfully there was only a handful inside or else the kitchen would've been flooded with hungry Grunts.

Nia let them taste-test for her and gave the Pokemon plenty to eat as well. K read from the book, explaining how certain Poffins helped Pokemon grow healthy. Humans didn't get as many nutrients as Pokemon did, but they were still a good treat for them. Some dared each other to try the spicy or bitter ones and Plumeria came in just to snag a whole plate of bitter ones, munching them like candy.

Guzma flew in on their Charizard after dark. The Grunts had named it Reaper and it had earned its name with how silently it flew. It dropped Guzma off at the front door and he gave it some beans. When he opened the door however, Reaper sniffed and trundled into the house after him, puffing while still crunching on his beans.  
The whole mansion smelled like fresh bread and it made Guzma's stomach rumble. As if on que Nia emerged from the kitchen with a plate of different colored breads. She saw Guzma and smiled.

"Welcome home Boss!"

She still wore the apron and her hair was still up but some strands were loose. It felt like he had walked into a dream. Her adorable smile cut through him like a knife, exposing his heart.

Was this what it was like to be welcomed home at the end of the day?

His face flushed pink as she approached, sure she was going to kiss his cheek or something equally sappy.

Instead she moved past him and gave the plate to Reaper.

Reaper roared happily and she giggled. His heart sank and rose like the tides and he tugged his hair. Fuck, emotions were weird!

"Oh Boss there should be some still in the kitchen. I told them not to eat all of them so you could have some."

She petted Reaper and Guzma scooted off to the kitchen. Those Grunts better have left him a good sized portion!  
Inside the kitchen was about 7 Grunts with K nowhere to be seen. They were groaning and laying on the floor, too full to move. Only one plate was left with a singular green Poffin with yellow zest sitting there. He picked it up and glared at the Grunts. He huffed when they didn't respond and took a bite.

BITtER then SouR!

His mouth puckered uncontrollably and he thrashed, clawing at his throat. Finally he swallowed and rushed to the sink, gulping down mouthfuls of water.  
Nia entered and looked at him confused until she saw the plate. She huffed and turned to the Grunts.

"I told you to tell him which ones were which! I also told you not to eat them all!"

She pouted and her face scrunched up in anger. Guzma sat down and put his head on the table. This was a weird fucking day for the Big Boss.

A sopping wet K re-entered the kitchen with a squirming Salandit wrapped in a towel. He sighed and explained what happened to the both of them.  
He was going to tell Boss which flavors were which when the loose Salandit snuck in and ate almost all the Poffins at once. He had been chasing the little bastard for 5 minutes in the rain before finally catching him.

Nia's anger deflated and she told K to go dry off. He took the Salandit with him, looking to pass it off to Plum first. Nia sat down across from Guzma dejectedly and sighed.

"Those were the best ones so far! I was saving them for you and Golisopod."

Guzma grunted tiredly from the table. Nia finally asked, "What flavors do you like Boss?"

He grumbled from the table, "NOT whatever that was...."

"I'll keep that in mind for next time. Now what do you like?"

"You can't tell from the Tapu Cocoa?"

She looked up at the can of Cocoa and facepalmed.

"Sweet... Of course. I'm a dummy."

She set to work again, using the last of the sweet berries to make it. Guzma watched as she worked, a smile crossing his face effortlessly. She was cooking for him and it warmed his soul. He decided that he could get used to this feeling. It felt like drinking Tapu Cocoa on a cold day while wrapped in blankets. Nia made him feel some weird shit but this? This feeling was the best.

Finally she set a plate of pink Poffins in front of him, with a cup of his favorite drink. They had picked up Moomoo milk at the Center and she added it to his drink instead of the condensed milk.

He released his Pokemon and they shared the meal. Nia sat down across from him again and smiled softly. He really was adorable with his Pokemon.

Guzma finally looked up and saw Nia was asleep. She still had that smile on her face and Golisopod purred next to him, happy to see her happy. He quietly put away his dishes and rinsed them in the sink. He considered waking her up so he could help her to her room, but Golisopod shook its head when he suggested it.

Ever so carefully, he picked her up, cradling her against his chest. Golisopod purred and nodded leading him to her room. It opened the doors in front of him and even pulled back the covers on her bed. Guzma gently tucked her in and high-fived Golisopod once they had closed the door behind them.

Nia had sweet dreams of her three best friends and their Pokemon all eating Poffins and Cocoa she made.


	16. Friends and Family

Nia awoke to Plumeria gently shaking her. She could hear the rain gently hitting the window, trying to lull her back to sleep. She finally sat up when Dusty lept from the headboard onto her face. Dusty cooed as she sat up and Plumeria eased him off of her face, tickling his antennae until he wiggled his little legs in the air.

  
Nia rubbed her eyes and yawned. She wondered if this was gonna become a daily thing with her and Plum. She didn't mind if it did.

Plum helped her with the lotion again and chuckled when she fell back asleep against her. Nia was only halfway done when Plum had finished with her back. Plum looked over the sleepy Nia as she tried over and over to wake up and apply the lotion and failing. Maybe she woke Nia up too soon? She looked her over before a tiny mischievous smile emerged.

Nia finally woke up properly as a sharp pinch on her butt caught her by surprise. She yelped and Plum chuckled.

"Finally awake?"

Nia was blushing hard and pouting. Plum finally laughed fully when she turned and stuck her tongue out at her. Both of them felt a jolt to their hearts, Nia's reacting to Plums laugh and Plum seeing grumpy Nia.  
They continued in warm silence, both hearts beating hard for the other. Finally they finished with the lotion and Nia started to get dressed in her Team Skull garb.

"Actually you don't have to wear that today."

"Huh?"

Plum smiled at Nia and continued, "Today is Friday so everyone gets a break today. Then tomorrow is Bath day. Do you know whether you wanna bathe separately or not?"

Nia pulled on her caterpie pajamas instead. "Separately. I...I'm not ready yet."

Plum gently straightened Nia's pjs and nodded. "I understand. You don't have to show them at all if you don't want to y'know."

  
"I...I do know, but I want to be able to swim without being bothered by the stares someday and that's a-a crucial step."

Plum nodded with understanding.

"I didn't know you were into swimming so much." Plum's head was tilted to the side with curiosity. She gently stroked Nia's hair as they sat on the bed and Nia closed her eyes contentedly.

"I used to swim when my dad was still around. There was a lake near our house and it only had Magikarp so it was safe. He would watch me swim and sometimes he'd let his Alomomola out and she'd let me surf on her."

Plums face darkened and she held Nia close.

"What happened to him?"

Nia curled towards Plumeria and laid her head in her lap.

"He died."

She drew in a deep breath and continued.

"I was 7. He left sometimes to travel and challenge other regions. Mom worried that he would leave her and find other women. I...I wasn't exactly planned, but Dad loved me anyways. Mom however was cold to me. I think she had her own dream, but I ruined it by being born."

Plum stroked her hair tenderly, and wiped a tear from Nia's cheek. Nia hadn't even noticed she was crying.

"Dad left for some Island, said there was some special Pokemon there. My dad and stepdad were rivals so of course he went too. My stepdad claimed the Pokemon, Deoxys, killed him after my dad tried to catch it."

"It never sounded right to me. It sounded too convenient... but he was the Champ at the time so no one doubted him. The police didn't even start an investigation."

Plum frowned. Nia was right, it did sound too convenient.

"Soon after they started dating and my mom got more aggressive. Her Lilligant protected me from her most of the time, but once they got married I never saw Lilligant again. I woke up that morning and found Lilli's flower on my nightstand."

Nia sucked in air to stifle a sob and curled tighter around Plum. Plum wrapped her blankets around them and stroked Nia's hair patiently. Finally Nia broke and with a sob exclaimed, "D-did you kn-now that Lilligant's flower... it only withers if they find a mate or the Trainer is shitty at taking care of them? B-but...but! Lilli's flower wasn't at all... someone plucked it. Or-or-or..."

"Breath Nia...breath with me."

Nia obeyed and calmed down a little after a couple of minutes. 

"I-I...I think she plucked it....and left it with me. She knew she'd wither if sh-she stayed. O-or worse..."

Plum stroked her hair gently and held her close. She wiped away Nia's tears and the gears in her head turned.

"Have you ever watched 'Rattatatouille?'"

Nia looked up at her and sniffled. "No... is that a tv show?"

Plum smiled and ruffled her hair. "Nope. It's a movie that I think you'll like. Grab your pokemon and meet me in the entertainment room. I'll get breakfast."

Plum left the room and Nia curled up in the blankets. They were warm and still smelled like Plums perfume. She wrapped the blankets around her like a cloak and grabbed her pokeballs.

Breakfast sounded good and so did a movie. Nia wondered if it would make her feel better as she shuffled out the door. When she got to the game room, she was surprised to see a group of grunts watching a pokemon tournament on the tv. Boss took up most of the couch, but the grunts didn't seem to mind. Most sat on the floor, though sometimes someone would try to snuggle up to Boss and he'd push them off onto the floor. The only one near him was Ariados who was resting on his stomach. Golisopod was also out but seemed to prefer guarding Guzma's back

Nia approached the back of the couch to watch the battle. Golisopod noticed and hugged her, purring once again. It made her feel safe. Guzma looked to see who was making his big bug purr and was surprised to see a figure wrapped in blankets wrapped in a hug with Golisopod. He sat up and peeked his head into the hood of her cloak and smiled when he saw her surprised face.

"Mornin' sweetcheeks!" He pinched one of her cheeks gently and she grumbled and pouted at him. He grinned and pinched both of her cheeks until she squealed indignantly. Some of the Grunts turned to see what was up, but they just chuckled and went back to the tv. She slapped at his hands and he finally let go after letting her flail for a good minute. 

"Come and sit. We're watching an old tourney with Red and Blue." He gestured to the tv and Nia looked. Everyone in the world knew Red and Blue. Their rivalry was legendary and so were their battles. It must have been one of their first tournaments because they were still kids and Blue still had his Sandslash.

Nia sat in front of the couch and watched the battle, flinching internally whenever a pokemon was hit. She didn't enjoy Pokemon battles, but understood that they were a necessary evil to help Pokemon grow. She clutched her Pokeballs tight to her chest and thought about the few battles she had fought. She hadn't lost all of them, but she didn't win a lot either. Living with Team Skull probably meant more battles, but she was willing to do anything to survive. Arceaus only knows how she'd fair alone.

In this tournament Blue won, but only by the skin of his teeth. His confused Eevee landed the final blow and could've easily hurt itself instead. The Grunts moaned in despair or whooped with joy all throughout the room. Guzma tched under his breath and ran a hand through his hair. He snatched up the remote and was flipping through channels when Plumeria returned.

She held two plates, both with egg sandwiches but waffles replaced the bread. Nia stood up to grab one of the plates and her blanket cloak fell off. Guzma was up in a flash, causing Ariados to hiss from the couch, unhappy it's napping spot had been disturbed.

Nia was just about to grab the plate when Guzma spun her around and grabbed her shoulders examining her from head to toe. Plum waited patiently as Nia stuttered in surprise and Guzma encroached on her personal space. There was a shine in his eyes as he took in every Caterpie dozing on her clothes. It was _just. too. **CUTE.**_

Guzma suddenly realized all the Grunts were staring at him in confusion. He shifted back into his Big Bad persona and chuckled loudly so all the Grunts could hear him.

  
"Ya know Nia, ya didn't have to get all dressed up ta get in my pants. All you had to do was _ask_." He ended the sentence with a growl and stroked her cheek once.

The Grunts howled and whistled, some cheering him. Plum looked unimpressed but Nia was a different story. Her face was almost purple and Guzma had no idea whether she was gonna hit him or swoon.

She bolted.

She ran back to her room and locked the door behind her, instictivly ducking under her bed. She laid there in the dark and tried to process what had just happened.

 

So.

 

Guzma had propositioned her.

 

So...

 

Her brain went straight into meltdown. She had admittedly always been attracted to him and he was part of the trio she dreamed about.....and sometimes fantasized about....

Her shoulders still burned where he had grabbed her and her mind quietly archived the sensation of his touch for later. 

But he had said...that... in front of a group of Grunts and Plumeria! Maybe he was teasing her? Maybe it was all a joke because she had worn the Caterpie pjs? Her thoughts snapped back to the girls that had teased her the other day. 

Her heart trembled and felt cold. Maybe they told him and he wanted to make fun of her. She always had a hard time telling when he was teasing or just being mean when they spoke on the phone.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knocking at the door. 

"Nia? It's Plum. Let me in Nia."

Nia scooted out from under the bed and unlocked it. Plum came in and shut the door behind her. She passed Nia her plate of breakfast and they sat on the bed eating quietly. Nia didn't really register the taste of the sandwich. Plum explained that Guzma was playing his role as Big Boss and would come by later to talk to Nia later properly. And maybe apologize if Plum bugged him enough.

Nia's heart felt a little better, but the twinge of disappointment in the back of her mind scared her. Did she really want Guzma to...to touch her like that? It was just a fantasy right? It's not like Plumeria, Guzma, and K would... be attracted to her. They'd probably always be just friends and nothing more.

Plum gently rubbed her back and Nia realized she hadn't spoken in a while. Nia glanced at Plum. Plum's face was usually unreadable, but now she was smiling sadly at Nia. Before Nia could ask her what was wrong, Plum stood up and spoke, her voice tender.

"You still wanna watch that movie?"

Nia nodded and Plum held a hand out to her.

"I'll feed your pokemon so meet me in my room, ok?"

Nia took Plums hand and stood up. She gave Plum her pokeballs and she left, taking the plates with her. Nia stood alone in her room in silence. Her mind was a mess but she changed into a pair of goldeen pajamas and went upstairs to Plums room, thankful she didn't run into anyone on the way there.

Plum met up with her a little while later and closed the door behind her. She brought out a portable DVD player and they snuggled under the blankets and watched the tiny screen. Nia felt a little embarrassed to be so close to Plum, but silently reminded herself that Plum had basically seen her naked and that this shouldn't be an issue.

They couldn't even hear the pattering of rain outside as they snuggled close and listened to a tiny Rattata talk about how much he loved food.


	17. High Tide, Low Tide

Nia dreamed of the ocean, of the waves dull roar as they pushed and pulled. She was whole again. No burns marred her skin and she could hear her dad humming next to her. He loved that song. He had told her before that it was from a cartoon he watched as a kid.

  
She turned to him and he looked the same. She was 19 but he was still in his mid-twenties. She calmly came to the revelation that she would never see her father old. She felt...okay with that. 

They sat in silence for a long while, listening to the waves. Finally her Father broke the silence.

"You know I love you, right?"

She turned to him and asked, "What is love?"

He smiled and answered, "It is a feeling. An experience. It's something worth cherishing. You'll know it when it happens."

"So you cherish me?"

"Yes. I may be gone but I want to see you happy. I want you to experience love at least once, even if it fades with time or dashes to pieces."

"Won't that hurt?"

"Yes, but afterwards you'll find you are stronger and you will find another to hold dear."

"I cherish you Daddy."

"I know you do kiddo. I cherish you as well."

Nia looked back out to sea and shifted her feet. She thought of her friends and whispered, "I cherish them too..."

She turned back to her dad and continued, "But it feels different. I love you in a sad, I'll miss you way. My love for them is....intense and warm. I don't ever want them to leave me. I want to make them happy. I want to hold their hands as we walk into Hell."

She blushed, "I want them to hold me and...and..."

Her dad laughed. She was bewildered as he stood up and brushed the sand from his jeans.

"You love them all right. Though that last part is sexual attraction and shouldn't be confused. Love doesn't equal sex and sex doesn't equal love. I learned that the hard way kiddo."

He pointed out to the waves and she looked. All three of them were playing in the water with the sun setting behind them. They were passing a beach ball back and forth and looked like they were laughing. Her heart swelled at the sight of them and started to run towards them when her dad grabbed her wrist.

It was cold as ice and she watched as he began to melt into sea foam.

"One last thing Nia. You can only pick one."

Nia whimpered and asked, "But...why? How can I choose? I love all three of them..." Her father smiled sadly, "If you pick one the other two will hurt. They will fade away from your life, but it is necessary. It is far easier and will hurt less in the long run if you pick one rather than lead all three of them on."

Nia felt her heart grow hot and she ripped her hand from his. His hand melted into foam and she felt bad for whipping her hand away, but she stared into his remaining eye with unflinching determination.

"I love all three of them the same! I want to stay with them forever and I won't let anyone tell me otherwise, not even you Dad!"

He smiled and spoke his final words.

"That's my girl..."

He melted away and she turned, running towards her friends, heart still burning in her chest. Tears pricked in her eyes as she got closer and closer. Finally she reached them and sobbed, "I LOVE YOU! I LOVE ALL THREE OF YOU!!!"

Nia woke up.

She could smell Plumeria's perfume and she was entangled in blankets. She stretched and felt a pair of graceful arms fold around her waist. She glanced at them and remembered earlier that day. She was in Plumeria's bed and had fallen asleep during the movie. She felt the arm sinch tighter and was forced to cuddle closer to who could only be Plumeria. 

She felt Plum's nose brush against the back of her neck and she felt herself relaxing. Plumeria was warm and inviting and didn't really make Nia feel flustered. If anything she felt safe.

A loud heavy knock at the door woke up Plum and startled Nia. Plum nuzzled Nia once more before getting up and trudging to the door. Cross that, turns out Plum could make her feel flustered.

Plum yawned and opened the door, "What's up Boss?"

"Ya know where tha Mario Kart game is? I gotta rip some Grunts a new one. Little brats been shit-talking all day and it's pissin' me off."

"Ya they probably hid it under the couch again. One sec."

Plum turned and jumped at the sight of Nia sitting up in her bed. "Fuck Nia! I thought you left while i was asleep!"

"Kinda hard to do that when you're snuggling me." Nia smiled warmly at her. To be honest she wanted to cuddle more. How would Plum react if she just...asked?

"I snu-? Ohhhhh....I thought you were one of my dolls. My bad." Nia looked over at the dolls and saw at least one big enough to be her size. Maybe she thought the warmth was her own body heat from sleeping? It kinda soured the experience, but Nia smiled anyway.

"It's ok, I was enjoying the snuggling." Nia rolled out of bed. "I need food though, so I'll see ya later." Plum smiled back and teasingly pinched her butt as Nia walked by. Nia eeped a little but chuckled as well.

Nia walked out of the door and was immediately stopped by Guzma. He seemed unsure of himself which was unusual to Nia.

"Hey Nia, look about this mornin..." He looked her over and was stunned into silence. Nia followed his gaze and realized that he was staring at her pj's again. She huffed and crossed her arms in irritation. Was it really that much of a big deal to him? Those girls voices echoed in her head and she ground her teeth. The thought of them pissed her off, but she silently wondered if there was any truth to their words.

"Why aren't cha wearing those cute pjs from earlier?"

"I didn't want to look like I was pandering."

"What?"

"Forget it, Boss. Just...just forget I said anything."

He blocked her way and leaned over so he could look her in the eye. His eyes were filling with confused anger. It hurt her inside to see and her heart trembled with anger at herself and those girls. Why couldn't she have said that she just felt like changing?

"Repeat whatcha said ta me, Nia. I wanna know whatcha mean by pandering."

"I..."

Her face burned with embarrassment and she didn't realize just how angry those girls had made her until she snapped. 

"What? You only interested in talking to pathetic girls that pander to your needs, Boss? I like other things and I don't need your attention to feel validated."

"Whoa, where the fuck is this comin' from?" Guzma's face was a bright red and he looked confused as all hell.

"You heard me! I don't need to feed your ego, you got enough fangirls for that!"

Guzma was confused and angry. He just didn't understand what the fuck she was going on about. Hell Nia didn't know what she was going on about.  
Plumeria stepped between them and motioned Nia back into her room. Nia wanted to run away, but her feet carried her inside the room instead. Plum closed the door and spoke to Guzma on the other side, eventually calming him down. He left and Plum came back in, looking more than a little confused.

"So... you ok?"

Nia stared at her hands and clenched them tightly. How could she let them get to her so easily? She scrubbed at her eyes and wiped away her tears of frustration.

"No...I...I don't know why I did that."

Plumeria calmly nabbed some tissues and passed them to her. She sat down next to Nia on the bed and sighed.

"You seemed pretty specific back there. You wanna talk about it?"

"I just..... Remember when you found me crying on my first day?"

Plum shifted in her seat and leaned back onto the bed. Nia laid down next to her and told her everything. Staring at the ceiling instead of Plum helped a bit. Plum was silent as she talked, handing her tissues when she needed them.

"It's been stuck in my head ever since. I know it was probably just first day hazing, but....but it really hurt. I mean... sometimes I do feel pathetic, but then I think of you guys and remember that you guys are badasses and somehow like me. I can't be that pathetic if I have you guys as friends....right?"

"Right. But you're badass in your own way Nia. You're able to smile while the world crumbles around you. I still remember what you said to your Pokemon when they saw you with one arm. You didn't scream or even cry. You just looked at them and smiled. You told them it would be ok, even when you were severely injured. That's pretty badass." Plumeria smiled and gently booped Nia on the nose with her finger.

Nia blushed and smiled over at Plum. Her smile fell though as she thought of Guzma. "I should go apologize to Boss..."  
She began to sit up, but Plumeria grabbed her wrist. Nia looked at her quizzically and Plum chuckled.

"He'll be fine in a bit. Let him play some Mario Kart and he should be calm enough to talk to afterwards. Besides, those Grunts should now better than to challenge Boss."

Nia smiled and asked, "What about you?"

"Hmm? Me? I'm pretty ok at it." Plumeria smiled, "Some Grunts complain when I pick Rainbow Road though. Those idiots can be such pussies sometimes."

* * *

 

Nia didn't really get a chance to speak with Guzma for the rest of the day. The day slipped away as she hung out with her fellow Grunts. She had a long chat with Leo about the ocean and possibly learning to surf. Leo assured her they had full body suits so she didn't have to worry about being shy. Nia hated lying to Leo, but she still wasn't ready to tell any of the Grunts. Being shy just seemed so much easier to explain that years of abuse.

She hung out with Grunts A,B, and C. Mainly they watched romance movies and gossiped, but it was the good kind. They talked about who was dating who and how cute they were. Not a single mean word was said until, Nia asked about Keaka out of curiosity.

"Oh honey, no. He's bad news."

"Yeah, he's such a creeper."

"I heard he asked out Grunt J everyday for 3 months until she agreed to date him."

"But lemme guess, soon as she put out he dropped her?"

"Yup. Like every other person he's dated. I mean I can understand just wanting a booty call, but at least call it that. Don't try to trick people into thinking you want a relationship."

Nia piped up, "Love doesn't equal sex and sex doesn't equal love."

They smiled at her and applauded her understanding so quickly even though Nia had already admitted to never being in a relationship. Soon after they began to pry, asking if she had anyone she wanted to date.

"Well....I kinda....ummm....." Nia blushed hard until she finally stuttered it out. "I kinda....I kinda want to date three people..."

"You mean like...at the same time?"

"I-I think so?"

They looked at each other and smiled.

"That's kinda brave of you. I wouldn't have pegged you for being polyamorous, but hey more power to ya."

"Ya, one relationship is hard enough, but three? Ooof. Good luck."

Nia was too embarrassed to give them the names, but they stopped pushing after seeing how flustered she was getting. Their conversation drifted back to their movie and Nia thanked Arceus.

She tried to sleep that night, but the nap she had earlier wasn't helping. She laid in bed, tossing and turning until Shady House was silent. It was only then that she realized that the rain had stopped.

She peeked out her window and clearly saw the moon, radiating its light over the graffitied town. It was so peaceful. Nia felt compelled to see Po Town without the rain. She silently pulled her shoes on and grabbed her pokemon, just in case.

She met no one as she walked throughout the town. It was silent except for the trees rustling their leaves and the occasional skitter of a Pokemon in the bushes outside town. Her wanderings brought her to the pool. It was full and the light of the moon made it gleam invitingly. She gently touched her pokeballs one by one and thought of her beloved pokemon. Surely a few minutes of swimming couldn't hurt?

A few minutes later she was floating in the pool with her pokemon swimming with joy. She was wearing a white one piece with tiny luvdisc swimming around her waist. Being in the water again with no one around really helped her relax. She played tag with Phoebe and laughed when the Feebas started a splash fight. She followed Dusty as they cleaned the pool bottom and tried to imitate Maddy's jellyfish-like movements. It felt so nice to be alone with her pokemon under the full moon.

"Hey."

Nia jumped at the voice and spun to see who it belonged to. Nia's heart sank as she spotted Keaka, sitting next to her towel and smiling coyly at her.

"Sup. You're the new girl right? You said your name was...Nia right?"

Nia glared at him from the water, sinking down so only her nose and upper face was exposed. She nodded grimly at him. His presence completely ruined her mood and she wanted to leave, but she didn't want him of all people to see her scarred legs. Who knows who he'd tell?!

"You look lovely in the water, betcha you'd look even lovelier close up. Why don'tcha come out of the pool and we can have a little chat?" He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. He just looked hungry.

Nia violently shook her head no and inched further away from him. All of the danger signals were going off in her head and she wished she had just stayed in her room. No one else was awake, so she had to deal with him herself.

"Well how 'bout I come to you then? I wouldn't mind a little skinny-dipping..." He licked his lips and winked.

Nia was inching towards the pool steps now, eager to just run. Fuck him telling everyone about her scars, she just wanted away from him now. Her Pokemon hovered around her protectively. She figured their instincts were also on high alert.

"N-No. I was just about to l-leave anyways. I'm really t-tired so I'm just gonna go to bed." Nia cursed mentally as he stepped over to her Pokeballs and picked one up, examining it. "P-put that down! That's mine!"

"Ya know what? You can really tell which one is K's handwriting. He's got that swoosh to his A's. He can be such a liar though. Because of him my rep is shit. Even you are cautious of me and you haven't even been here for a week yet." He sighed. "Just because our relationship ended badly doesn't mean he should spout lies about me."

Nia stared at him in surprise. K dated Keaka??? It was just too surreal. Keaka put the pokeball back and continued.

"I could tell you the truth, if you came out of the pool."

Nia instantly stated, "No. Even if I didn't know about the rumors, I still wouldn't want to talk to you. You're creepy."

Apparently no one had ever told Keaka he was creepy to his face before, because he was stunned silent. After a few long seconds of silence he laughed hard.

"Man, I really like you! You don't give a fuck about telling someone your opinion!" He walked over to the pool edge and grinned.

"I have got to take you on a date sometime. I get the feeling it'd be really fun."

Nia stared in disbelief at the mans stupidity and spoke firmly, "No. Just no."

Keaka began to speak, asking her out again when a shadowy figure kicked him into the pool. Nia wasted no time in nabbing her towel and calling back her pokemon. She wrapped the towel around her waist so that her legs were covered and turned to thank her rescuer. 

Of course, it was her Boss, Guzma. Guzma was squatting next to the pool, waiting for Keaka to come back up. When he did, Guzma grabbed him by the hair and held him above water.

"No means no ya little shit. This is your last warning Keaka. One more time and I get to drag your remains to Nanu. If there are any left."

Nia blushed as Guzma went full Boss mode. It was really intimidating, but also kinda hot. It didn't help that he was saving her from the local creep.

Guzma dropped him back into the pool and stalked over to her. Her heart jumped into her throat as he approached, the danger signals going haywire. She couldn't move a muscle and she silently wondered if this was what it was like to be a newly hatched pidgey being hunted by a Noctowl. 

She melted as he gently wrapped an arm around her and whispered in her ear, "Let's get you back ta bed." She nodded and walked with him back inside. They were quiet as he led her back to her room. Once there he tried to leave but she grabbed his wrist.

"I...I wanted to t-talk to you earlier. I...I'm sorry for yelling at you. I was redirecting my anger at you instead of who made me angry and it was wrong."

Guzma turned back to her and studied her face. He invaded her bubble again and gripped her chin gently as he stared into her eyes. Finally he let go and sighed.

"I believe ya, Nia. Just...you picked the worst person ta yell at,cha know? Next time, talk to Plumes first all right? She not called the Big Sis for nuthing."

"Ok. ...Ummm...thanks by the way....for earlier."

Guzma raised an eyebrow and smiled. She was blushing again and it made his heart pound in his chest.

"Ya boy gotcha back. Even if I'm mad at ya, doesn't mean I'll let ya get harassed. Next time maybe make sure ya got a lookout when you go night swimmin."

"I will."

Nia smiled up at him and blushed harder as she gestured for him to lean closer to her. Confused, he leaned down and turned his head, thinking she wanted to whisper in his ear. Instead he felt her soft lips touch his cheek. He felt his own face burn and almost missed her whisper.

"That's for saving me, Guzma. I really appreciate it."

She finally let go of his wrist and dashed back inside her room, closing the door behind her. She leaned against the door and covered her face.

Her first kiss! Her first kiss!

She couldn't be happier.


	18. And So It Begins...

Guzma wandered back to his room in a daze. He shut the door behind him quietly and slumped onto the bed. Nia's smile and the feeling of her lips on his cheek enchanted him. The last time he felt like this was when he and Plum dated for a while. Fuck, he needed a cigarette.

  
He got up and opened the window of his room. It was too quiet without the white noise of the rain. He lit up his cigarette and sucked in the smoke. He sighed as he breathed out, watching the smoke curl as it dissipated.

So, he liked Nia in the same way he liked Plum. 

He tugged on his hair and twisted it between his fingers. The signs were there before and he ignored them. He wasn't sure if he could crush these feelings as easily as he had before. She deserved better than him, so much better than him, but her smile... He wanted to protect it. He wanted to make her laugh. He needed to see her smile. The jolt to his heart when she did was more addicting than the cigarette in his hand.

He took in another puff and tapped away the ashes. He regretted not texting her more often after she left, but things were busy and Miss Prez demanded his attention. She was even more demanding now than ever before. Now that both of her kids had run off she was more focused on the wormholes and the Ultra Beasts than ever. He sighed and pulled at his hair again. His feelings about Miss Prez were complicated. He hated her for being such a terrible parent, but he couldn't help but want to please her. She knew just the right way to feed his ego. She made him feel less like the failure his dad thought he was.

Guzma ground his cigarette in the ashtray next to him and closed the window. He could live without her compliments, but the money and promise of Bug type Ultra Beasts was too much of a lure for him to ditch her. He had a family to feed after all. Just because she had him wrapped around her finger didn't mean he was a mindless yesman. Gladion was proof of that.

  
He sat down on his throne and popped open his laptop. He smiled as he read another email from Gladion. The kid was coming back on Monday for some training. The kid was getting closer to beating him every time they met. Miss Prez didn't know he hired Gladion to be their Enforcer and he planned on keeping it that way. He only sent Gladion out if some of his Grunts were harassed and couldn't beat up the asshole that was doing it. It didn't happen often though so Gladion spent most of his time training. The kid was getting bored without Sun and Moon around.

He didn't know what happened to those brats, but they hadn't been seen for months now. It worried him a little, but a part of him hoped those idiots got the message and butted out of his business. He still needed to find Gladion's sister and nab the pokemon she was carrying for Miss Prez. He wasn't having any luck, and she was getting more and more pissy with him. The flute helped calm her down though, and hopefully once they found the second one she'd be back to praising him.

Guzma snapped the laptop shut and stretched. He was getting tired just thinking about that bitch. He shut off the light and went to lay down. Nia's smile popped back into his thoughts and he sighed. Maybe...maybe after all this shit was over he could take her on a date or something. His dad's voice whispered in his ear again, calling him trash, telling him he didn't deserve happiness.

  
"I'll prove you wrong, you dickwad."

* * *

She must have been getting used to waking up early, since it was only 7am when Nia woke up. Her Pokemon were still asleep in their balls and the sun was barely able to pour it's light into her room. She scooped up the balls and tiptoed to the kitchen.

She peeked in and was surprised to see someone at the table with a pot of coffee. They were wrapped up in a blanket and their movements were sluggish. She watched in horror as they picked up the pot of coffee and drank straight from it.

Nia rushed over to stop them, but stopped herself when she saw who it was. It was a little hard to tell without her makeup and with her hair down, but without a doubt it was Plum. Nia was so surprised that she spat out the first thing that came to mind.

"Oh fuck. You're hot."

Plumeria almost choked on the coffee and Nia turned red with embarrassment.

"Oh my god Plum! I-I don't know why I said that! I mean I th-thought it but then I said it without thinking and I made you uncomfortable, and I'm so-"

Plum raised her hand and Nia stopped talking. Plum chuckled and it grew and grew until she was laughing as hard as she could. Eventually she stopped and patted Nia on the head. She was smiling from ear to ear and it made Nia feel much better. Plum stood up and hugged her tight.

"Arceus, Nia why are you so cute? I needed that way more than coffee, shit!"

She was still chuckling a little as they hugged and Nia was relieved. She still couldn't believe she hit on Plum first thing in the morning. Her face was still a little red as Plum pulled away and started putting away the coffee. Something occurred to Nia and she asked, "Is that your breakfast?"

Plumeria stretched, "Naw, but I gotta start making food for the family y'know? I'll eat when I'm done." Nia frowned and took Plums hand. "Wha-?" Nia pulled her back to her chair and made her sit back down.

"I'm making breakfast today. What do you want?"

"Nia, I'm fine. I do this all the time!"

"Don't care. What do you want to eat?"

Plum sighed and smiled up at the girl, thinking of how much she loved the adorable idiot. She really fit in. Finally she sighed and said, "How about pancakes?"  
Nia grinned and grabbed an apron. Plum worked very hard for Team Skull and Nia was happy to give her a break. Luckily, she was great at making pancakes.

"Coming right up!"

* * *

K and Guzma came out of their rooms at the same time, both following the warm smell that flooded the house. Guzma looked down from the banister and was surprised to see most of the Grunts awake and eating pancakes. Syrup and butter was been passed around and everyone seemed really happy. He thought to himself, "Plum really outdid herself today, usually it takes forever to get all the Grunts up." He slid down the banister and almost bumped into K, who was so focused on the smell of food that he wasn't paying attention.

Guzma smiled and wrapped an arm around K's shoulders, shocking the sleep from him. K smiled up at his Boss and they walked in step, chatting about pancakes. When they stepped into the kitchen however they were surprised to see not Plum, but Nia at the stove. Plumeria was handing out plates of freshly made pancakes while Nia made them. 

"Oh, hey guys."

Nia looked back at them and smiled. She had her hair up and had the apron back on. Sweat clung to her forehead from exertion and the heat, but she still was still working hard to keep up with the amount of pancakes they needed.

"So guys, how many do you want?"

Guzma sat down at the table and asked for four and K went to the sink, asking for two. K walked over to her and wiped Nia's face with a damp washcloth. Nia thanked him and Guzma wondered why he didn't think to do that.

It was an hour later when all of Team Skull had been fed. Plum gathered up the plates while Nia sat with the washcloth on her face, chatting to K and Guzma. Guzma had told K and Plum what had happened last night and both were furious. 

"If you want to swim Nia, I have a full body swimsuit you could use so you don't have to swim at night." Plum was quiet about her anger, but Guzma and K saw the fury in her eyes. Nia yawned and waved a hand at Plum.

"That's ok, besides the problem wasn't being out at night. It was Keaka being a creep."

Plum sighed and lifted the washcloth from Nia's face. She was leaning back in her chair so it would stay on her face. Plumeria frowned and looked Nia in the eye.

"I just want you to be more comfortable around here Nia. You shouldn't have to swim at night just to avoid people. This is your home now." Nia smiled up at Plum and thanked her for her concern.

"Whatcha so worried about anyway, shortstack? Ya said ya had burn scars, but how bad can it be?" Guzma was sipping on cocoa and listening in. Plum and K looked at each other with concern and Guzma saw.

"What? What's with the faces?" Nia was sitting normally in her chair now, but she refused to look at Guzma. She stared at the cheap table and wished she were somewhere else. Plum was finally the one to speak.

"Both of us...we've both seen some of it. I accidently saw last year and she trusted K enough to send him pictures."

"I deleted them right after."

"So why wasn't I informed?" Guzma sipped at the cocoa, focusing on not getting mad. It was her secret after all, but for some reason it hurt knowing that his two most trusted friends kept it from him.

"I...I knew you'd be mad, like at the Buffet...but worse and you wouldn't be able to do anything since he's in jail now... I just didn't want you to be angry without an outlet..." Nia's voice was hushed and it made Guzma angry at himself for scaring her. He took a couple of deep breaths and set down the mug of cocoa.

"That bad, huh?"

She nodded silently. He sighed and asked softly, "May I see?" Nia's head shot up and she stared at him. He was tense, but he was holding back his anger. Seeing him try to hold back gave her hope.

"Ok.."

She led him back to her room. K stayed behind to wash dishes, but Plum stood outside the door, knowing Guzma would have questions. Nia made Guzma turn around as she got back into her swimsuit. Guzma was tracing the whorls in the wood of the door when she finally told him to turn around.

Guzma turned slowly and had to swallow the bile that came up when he saw her. She looked as lovely as she had the night before, but now he could see clearly. Her arms were rather clear except for a mark or two, high up on her shoulder. Her legs were the opposite. Layer and layer of scars overlapped each other, making her legs an angry red. The skin was puckered in some areas and shiny in others. He could almost see where the Arcanine bit her.

He approached her slowly and had her sit down. Quietly he asked if he could touch and she nodded. She wasn't sure which scared her more, when he was angry or when he was quiet.

He was gentle as he touched her legs, tracing teeth and claw marks with his fingers. He wondered how much feeling she had left in her legs. He pinched her leg a little and she looked up at him confused. He pinched a little harder, just hard enough for Plum to tell him to fuck off. She squirmed a little but no yelp of pain. He sighed and helped her back up. He turned her around and looked her over. The burns creeped up her legs, spreading scars past where her swimsuit cut off.

"How bad is the rest of your body?" His voice was cold and Nia realized he was in full Boss mode again. It was the way he held himself, somehow it flipped a switch in her brain that screamed 'run'. Then she remembered he wasn't mad at her and she answered.

"It's the same...on my front and back. He always made sure not to go past the neckline of a shirt. That's why my arms are relatively free. He didn't want anyone asking questions..."

Nia felt shame wash over her and she felt tears slip down her face. She knew how she looked. He had made her into a monster and she showed her friends. There was no way in hell that they would want her. She had secured that by showing Guzma. Now all three of them were unreachable.

"Nia. I want ta show you something."

Nia looked up at Guzma. He looked sad but determined. She felt unsure of how to feel. She felt even less sure when he took off his jacket and began taking off the shirt underneath, though now he had her full attention. She watched as he took off the shirt and gasped when she saw his chest. Over the muscles were scars, not burns but they looked savage enough. They criss-crossed over his chest and were everywhere. His arms, chest and back almost looked like someone lashed him with whips.

"Those were the ones that broke tha skin. My old man did this ta me."

Nia stared in horror and gently traced them. Guzma shivered so she stopped. "I told ya, Nia. I know what you've gone through. Probably didn't hurt nearly as much, but we're in the same boat." Guzma smiled at her and she hugged him tight.

"Thank you Guzma."

He smiled and patted her head before pulling away. He put on his clothes and left so she could get changed while he talked to Plumeria. She was still standing next to the door, leaning against the wall.

"What kind of shit does she need?" His voice was cold and sent a chill down Plumeria's spine. There was a reason he was Boss and his Pokemon were only one reason.

"She has to put on lotion everyday so she doesn't itch. Itching will reopen them. Besides that she just needs morale support."

"How does she get her back?"

"I've been helping her every morning, but I'm worried about when I'm on a mission that takes forever."

"I'll help her on those days."

Plumeria looked over at him and arched an eyebrow. He caught her look and asked, "What? I'll stay out of her room until she asks me to get her back. No funny stuff. I maybe a guy, but I have self control you know."

Plumeria smiled up at him and said, "I knew it."

"Knew what?"

"Just so you know you've got competition, and it's not just me." She walked away and Guzma followed behind, face red with embarrassment. 

"What!? What do you mean not just you??? Arceus-dammit come back here and talk to me Plum!"

She led him back to her room and he shut the door behind him. His face and ears were red as he whispered to her.

"How tha fuck did you know? I only figured it out yesterday!"

Plumeria smirked, "Boss, you were kinda obvious. Let me count them out for you. One: you not only gave her a bug type, you gave her a Wimpod."

"So?! It was gonna be her first Pokemon, why not have it be a Wimpod?"

"Let me continue Guzma. Two: I saw your face whenever you texted her. You always had that goofy smile you get when you flirt."

"She..she sent me a lot of silly pictures..."

"Mmmhmmm, yeah no. Three: You gave her your 'special occasion only' cocoa."

"She never had cocoa before! I had to give her the good stuff."

"Four: Instead of just saying she had cool pajamas, you hit on her."

"....I didn't think of that...."

" Five: You apologized to her. You never apologize without me having to nag you."

Guzma didn't have an excuse for that one. His face was still red and she reminded him of the night before when she kissed his cheek. He crossed his arms and kept quiet.

"Last but not least, since it's what convinced me, you volunteered to help her instead of assigning a trustworthy Grunt that isn't interested in her."

Guzma rubbed his temples and sighed. She really got him there. It was so obvious now that it was laid out for him. He growled and tugged at his hair.

"Fine! I...I like her. What do you mean I have competition?"

Plumeria smiled fondly and got a far-away look in her eyes. 

"I realized it this morning. I've paid way more attention to her than any other Grunt and felt so pissed when you hit on her. This morning was so great, I wanted to kiss her the whole time. Unlike you, I listen when my heart tells me something. I love her cute, naive butt."

Guzma could admit that he buried his emotions a lot. He wondered, if he had realized sooner, would Nia be his girl right now? Plumeria would be a tough opponent if Nia was into girls.

"You said I had more competition besides you. I swear if it's Keaka, I'm gonna find him and beat the shit out of him."

Plum stuck her tongue out in disgust. "Keaka doesn't count. K does though."

Guzma stared at her with shock. K?! He butted heads with him but they had been friends since Team Skull was just Guzma and Plum. He had made three and they had been inseparable ever since. 

He sighed and laughed cheerlessly.

"So I'm fighting my best friends for a girl who is also a friend. This is so fucked up, I can't help but laugh. It's like the plot to a bad romance novel." Plum nodded in agreement before continuing. "That's why I feel like there should be some ground rules. I'm gonna tell K when he gets here."

A knock at the door brought a smirk to her face and she called the person in. K stepped in, closing the door behind him. "I got your text Plum, what's up?" He saw Guzma glowering at him and stepped away from him, raising his hands. "What did I do wrong? "

"You haven't done anything wrong K. Guzma is just pissy about what I called you here for. You see..." She paused and drummed her fingers together. "You see, all three of us have a crush on Nia."

K's eyes went wide with surprise and stared at the two. Finally he was able to speak, "AWW, HELL NAAAH! Fucking really??" They nodded grimly and K grit his teeth. "Who does Nia like though?"

"Well according to a little bird, all three of us. Equally."

Guzma and K stared at Plum in disbelief. Guzma spoke up, "Ya sure it's us she's crushing on? Not some other three people?" Plum looked at him and sighed.

"Guzma, I know you got self esteem issues but yes. It's us. She hangs around us the most and has known us the longest. I really doubt she fell head over heels for three other people. So before we start fighting for affection, I feel like we need some ground rules.

"That sounds...reasonable. I'd still like to be friends with you at the end of this." K looked at the other two and they both agreed.

The rules they agreed on were simple. No sabotage of the others would be tolerated and they would wait for the perfect moment to confess. Whoever she picked would date her. They would respect Nia's choice and back off, staying as friends. They seperated the week, so that they each had equal time to take Nia on dates without stepping on each others toes. Fridays would be free days since it was the day everyone took a break.  
They decided to start tomorrow since the day had already started and wouldn't be fair to them. Guzma got tomorrow, then K and Plum would have their chances.

Guzma and K left afterwards. It was Bath day after all and both were sure Nia wouldn't want a stinky boyfriend. Plum picked up her phone when they were out of sight and sent a quick text.

\- Mission Make Nia Happy is a go -

  
Elsewhere, Grunt C's phone chimed and she checked it. She grinned and looked over at A and B. She gave them a thumbs up and they whooped with excitement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gotta thank my husband for editing this chapter. It helps to get someone that hasn't stared at it for hours to read it over lol. Here is his silly ass tumblr: http://haru-n-harkel.tumblr.com/


	19. No one can catch a break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> K and Nia have a bad day

K was gnawing at his fingernails as they walked to the changing room. It was a bigger room near the door to the pool that everyone kept their bath stuff in. K absentmindedly drifted to his stuff and started undressing. Guzma's stuff was across the room, so he could only assume that Guzma was undressing too.

  
The poor boys heart was so conflicted. He had fallen for Guzma when they first met and getting to know him made him fall harder. As a teen he thought that maybe he had a chance, so he gave Guzma little gifts and rehearsed his confession over and over. Then he caught Guzma and Plum kissing and his little heart broke. He kept accepting missions that required traveling to other islands. Eventually he healed and stopped avoiding his friends, but it still hurt when they smiled, and it didn't help that he had fallen for Plum while she and Guzma were together. He had forced himself to let go, trying to feel happy for them. He hated to admit it but a tiny voice in his head was overjoyed when they broke up. All they would say when asked about it was that it ' _felt like something was missing_ '.

Now however, Guzma and Plum were his rivals for someone he might have a chance with, and he wondered what he'd do if he couldn't win Nia's heart. Although he said he wanted them to all stay as friends, he knew he'd probably drift away from them, maybe even leaving the region. It wasn't set in stone yet, so he focused on getting ready instead of worrying.

Across the room, Guzma was also worrying himself to death. His plan to maybe woo Nia after all the shit with Aether was completely demolished. His father's voice echoed in his head, telling him he didn't deserve her anyways. A tug on his hair helped quiet the voice, but only because of the tiny pricks of pain it caused.

  
Fighting Plum and K over Nia felt wrong and idiotic. A part of him wanted Nia to just choose one of the other two since she'd never go for him. Hope spiraled in his heart though. Nia was crushing on him! She was also crushing on Plums and K, but it almost felt inconsequential. He still loved Plum, and maybe Nia was what was missing!

He worried about K though. He had a soft heart, and fell hard. He still remembered when they were teens and K would follow Plum like a lost Rockruff. When K found out they were dating he drifted away for a long time and Guzma felt abandoned by his friend. He was elated when K came back, but K came back feisty and stubborn. He didn't mind it, it meant he had someone to battle with that would go all out, but he also felt like he lost a part of his friend. He didn't want that to happen again.

Guzma stretched and cracked his neck. He didn't need this extra stress. He wondered if soaking in the warm water would help ease the knots in his back. He turned and saw K already grabbing his towel. K kept his back to him, almost like he was avoiding his eyes. He huffed with irritation and snagged his own towel. If K wanted to be a dickhead, let him.

He turned to go when K's hand shot out and nabbed his arm. He could feel his friend trembling, so he turned back to him. Did he misread K? K slowly turned to face him and stared at his chest, still avoiding his eyes.

  
K opened his mouth to speak and all of his pent up emotions threatened to burst free. "Would..." _you ever date me? you ever date a guy? you kiss me?_ He gulped and stared at the taller man's chest, trying desperately to keep those words from coming out. Finally he looked up at his friends eyes and continued, "...Do you really think we'll still be friends after this? I mean... we're both really competitive."

  
Guzma blinked as he processed the question. Then he flicked K on the forehead.

"OW! What the fuck man?"

"Couple of things. One, she's not a prize to be won." He had slipped into Boss mode as he said this, causing the hairs on K's neck stand up. K desperately tried to think of math or sad poochyenas, because he could feel his dick begin to rise and he did not want Guzma to notice.

"Two, we're not just friends, we're family. I'm not gonna drop your or Plum's ass just 'cause I see ya with Nia. That being said though, if you do date and then break-up, I'm snatching her up before Plum gets the chance. Got it?"

K wordlessly nodded and mentally pleaded for Guzma to not look down. Guzma clapped him on the back and headed out to the pool. K stayed behind, claiming he needed to use the bathroom first.

As soon as Guzma was out the door, K booked it to the bathroom across the hall and locked the door. He sat in the tub and groaned with frustration. Stupid Guzma and his sexy Boss voice. Stupid dick that didn't listen. He balled up his towel and screamed into it, hoping no one would hear. His mind didn't seem to get the memo that now was not the time for this shit. It sent him naughty thoughts of him sucking Guzma's dick in the changing room, where anyone could come in and see him servicing Boss.

  
His own dick was at full mast now and he glared hatefully at it. It seemed so proud of itself for succeeding in tormenting him. He tried to wait it out, trying to think of anything not sexual. Blank walls, the beach, his old classroom in Kanto, but his dumb brain twisted them. The wall was perfect for fucking Nia against. Plum was tanning naked on the beach, spreading her legs invitingly for him. The teacher's desk was the perfect height for Guzma to take him while he wailed in pleasure.

Finally he gave up and went to work. Those fantasies were enough for him to already dribble pre-cum, so he continued with them. Nia was in the classroom now watching intently, her eyes drinking in the sight. Her hands were creeping into her pants and she was biting her lip.

  
Plum was in the scene now, helping Nia out. She was playing with Nia's nipples and biting her shoulder. Nia was moaning loudly, and he could almost feel Guzma's dick twitch inside him. Guzma was speeding up and his body felt so needy for it. They kissed roughly and he blew his load into the tub.

He panted heavily, leaning against the wall of the tub for support. He washed the cum down the drain and stood up wobbly. Thinking of Guzma and Plum always got him off, but throw Nia in there and suddenly his brain was mush.

He waited until he was able to walk normally and left the bathroom. He still had to bathe but he wasn't looking forward to seeing his friends. He always felt guilty afterwards.

* * *

 

Guzma waited impatiently in the pool for Plum and K. He silently wondered if K fucking fell in. It wouldn't be the first time. To Guzma's surprise Plum came out first. She left her towel on one of the beach chairs and stepped down the pool stairs. She looked around for a moment, counting the Grunts from the look of it. Suddenly she frowned and swam over to him.

  
"Where's K? I thought you two walked down here at the same time."

Guzma huffed and crossed his arms. "We did, but then he needed to use tha bathroom. Been in there for about thirty minutes."

Plum glanced over at him and kept a knowing smirk to herself. She had heard the soft moans of pleasure through the door and had left it alone. She silently wondered what got K so worked up though...

"Did something happen in the changing room?" Her voice was nonchalant, but inside she was snickering. She knew K's tastes and had caught him staring at Guzma more than once. The poor boy was so thirsty for him, but Guzma was an idiot and just couldn't get the hint.

"Not really. He was worried about our friendship so we talked. Did I fuck up somehow?" He looked at her with concern, and started replaying the conversation in his head. He didn't think he fucked up, but knowing his luck he probably did.

"Probably not. Maybe he just had a bad malasada."

Guzma stayed tense as they washed until he saw K get into the pool. He swam over to them and apologized, blaming a bad malasada like Plum said. Guzma relaxed more and splashed him for making him worry. K splashed back and soon it was an all out war. Guzma ended it by catching K and putting him in a headlock. K tapped out and they laughed. They washed up and kept an eye on the Grunts so none of them drowned. K could almost swear some of them were pretending to so they could get CPR.

Finally the last Grunt left the pool and they followed after. K made the mistake of walking in front of Plum and got a sharp slap on the butt. He yelped and got out of her way while Guzma laughed. As they got dressed, Plum asked (told) them to get Nia for her bath. Plum would be guarding the door so that no one that wanted to be seen bathing got some privacy. Most of the Grunts respected others boundaries, but some (Keaka and Co.) liked to push them.

Both guys walked to Nia's door, wondering out loud what she had been doing the whole time. As they came through the hallway, they could hear someone singing. It wasn't the best singing they ever heard, but it didn't sound like a Mudbray dying so they kept walking. As they approached the door though, it got louder and louder until they realized it was coming from Nia's room.

They looked at each other in surprise. Nia didn't seem like the kind of girl who would belt out a song loud enough to hear down the hall. Not only that but the song itself was a little saucy.

**_"...If it feels good, tastes good, It must be mine.."_ **

That part in particular was sung in a somewhat seductive tone. They exchanged another look, both blushing.

"Um..Guz? I don't think she knows how loud she'd being..."

Guzma had a thought flash through his head and blushed harder. He silently wondered if he could make her scream loud enough to bug Nanu in the Police station next door.

"Yeah..we should knock."

"...You knock Boss."

K's face was tamato red and he refused to look Guzma in the eye. Guzma stared at him with curiosity.

"Why don't you knock... _Grunt?"_

K's face contorted with indecision before finally he stated, "Last time I went to knock it didn't end well."

Now he had Guzma's full attention. Little Nia causing trouble? He had to hear what happened. He walked K over a little ways and whispered, "What'd she do?"

K was in full panic mode now and kept looking away, wearing the worst poker face Guzma's ever seen. His eyes were wide and his face was white and bloodless. K's mouth was a straight line that wiggled against its owner's wishes. Guzma had never seen K make this face and it confused him. Finally Guzma grabbed his chin and pulled him closer, almost kissing distance close. K couldn't look anywhere other than his eyes now and he felt like he was gonna faint.

"What did she do."  
Guzma's voice had a deep rumble of danger behind it and K finally spoke.

"I-I uh...I went to knock...and I kinda _heard_...her, y'know?"

One eyebrow raised and Guzma whispered back, "Whaddaya mean you _heard_ her?"

K's eyes were darting every which way, trying to find a way out. Finally he gulped and whispered, "Please don't make me say it Boss...."

  
Guzma understood now, but he had never seen K like this and he kinda liked it. K was usually feisty, arguing with him whenever he didn't want to do a mission. This side of K was.... kinda hot. He'd never been with a guy, but now he wondered what it'd be like with K whimpering his name.

"Say it, Grunt"

"She was...she was.." He shut his eyes, trying to calm down, trying to breathe. Every sensation made his body tingle and twitch. What was Boss doing to him? He opened his eyes and Guzma noted how large his pupils had gotten.

"m-m..masterbating..."

Guzma smirked and let go of K. K fell on his butt and laid down on the floor, covering his face with his arms. He was panting hard and silently begged Nia for forgiveness. He didn't even know he had this kink. Guzma only called him Grunt when he was being disagreeable so this was ...new. The combination of the Boss voice, inability to escape, and Guzma calling him Grunt was a powerful combination.

Guzma looked down at one of his best friends with wonder. He smirked as he watched K recover. Sure enough he'd gotten K hard as a rock and felt pretty proud about it. He could see the outline clearly even though K's pants were rather baggy. He waited for his friend to sit up before helping him stand. He pulled K close and whispered in his ear, "Let's talk about what just happened later. I expect to see you in my room in 20 minutes. Got it, Grunt?"

He could feel K shudder, so he rubbed his back gently until K was somewhat brought back to his senses. K's face was a lovely ruby now and he tried to speak, but Guzma shushed him and waved him away. K made a beeline for Guzma's room and Guzma chuckled. He'd have to tell Plum about this later.

Nia was still singing when he knocked on the door. She kept on singing and Guzma pounded on the door. Apparently she still couldn't hear it, so he opened the door and went inside.

Nia stopped bouncing on her bed and stared at him in shock. She really didn't hear the knocking. Her face flushed pink and her mind decided to pop out the first thing it could come up with.

"Get out."

Nonplussed Guzma spoke,"It's bath time, angel. Besides, everyone in this hallway could hear you."

**"Wut"**

The Grunts next door whistled and cheered from their room and Nia's brain melted. She was under the bed within seconds, hands over her face in the fetal position. The mp3 player she was listening to was tossed to some corner of the room. Guzma sighed and got on his stomach, scooting so he could reach Nia's hands. He pried them from her face and pulled her out from under the bed. She was gibbering nervously, her face almost the same shade of purple as when he hit on her.

"C'mon angel, Plumes is waiting for ya." He tried to talk softly to comfort her. It seemed to work because her face was going back to its normal color. Finally he let go of her arms, patting her head until she was calm.

"S-sorry Boss... I just...I thought everyone was bathing..." she wrung her hands nervously.

"You're fine Nia. Just ah, remember you basically live in an apartment complex now. Got it?"

She nodded and they stood up. He ruffled her hair and pinched her cheek lightly. She smiled instead of flailing at him so he pinched her other cheek, lifting her mouth into a smile. She giggled and smacked at his hands half-heartedly. She didn't actually mind, but always seemed to catch her off guard.

His smile turned into an evil grin and he let go of her face. He paced the room, keeping her from leaving before he finished talking.

"Y'know though Nia...you still were pretty loud. I think...maybe ya need a little _punishment_." She paled as he grinned devilishly. She didn't want to know what his idea of punishment was. She backed up as he approached, hitting the opposite wall. Thinking quickly, she scrambled between his legs and would've gotten away if he wasn't ready for her. He picked her up easily and threw her over his shoulder. She squirmed like a Dratini and almost escaped his grip. She pounded on his back, and kicked desperately freaking out the whole time.

_"Boss? What punishment? Boss?? Guzma?? **What's the punishment???** "_

Once he was sure of his hold on her, he left the room and started walking towards the pool. Nia had her face in her hands and was limp in his arms, deciding that maybe she should just accept her fate. They passed a group of girls gossiping and they giggled as Guzma strolled by. As soon as Guzma was out of earshot, one of the girls turned to the rest. The were all scowling and whispered.

"Who does she think she is?! Forcing Guzma to carry her...that little brat needs to be taught a lesson."

"Yeah! He shouldn't have to dirty his hands with that slut!"

The leader of the girls was named Darcy. She was one of the two girls that bullied Nia on her first day. Her best friends name was Makayla and they were never seen without the other. They even joined Team Skull at the same time. Darcy smiled at her little group and stated, "I have an idea..."  
The group quieted down and turned to her. Darcy usually had the best ideas.

"Jenna? You still have that Spinarak you nabbed from the Daycare?" One of them nodded and handed the pokeball to Darcy. Darcy palmed the pokeball and smirked.

"Good, now let's go check out her room."

The five girls tiptoed to Nia's room and looked around. Nia didn't have a lot, mostly just clothes and her lotion. No make-up was anywhere and her phone was an old c-gear.

Darcy released the Spinarak and grinned creepily at it.

"Let's get to work."

The five girls brought Nia's things to the little spider and ordered it to use Rage Powder. They covered all of her clothes and bedsheets with it. The cherry on top was Nia's lotion. They sprinkled the itchy powder into every bottle and giggled as they put everything back where it was. Darcy spotted the mp3 player before they left and asked Makayla whose it was.

"It's B's isn't it? She's probably letting her borrow it. I saw them hanging out yesterday."

"Perfect."

Darcy slowly and deliberately crushed it. The screen cracked and popped as she stepped on it. She ground her heel into it for good measure, turning some of the glass to powder. She smiled viciously and left with her group trailing behind.

  
Meanwhile, Guzma walked up to Plum with Nia on his shoulder. Plum looked at Guzma then Nia's prone body and back before asking calmly, "Did you kill her?"

Nia sighed and wiggled her leg, proving she was alive. Guzma put her down and began to leave.

"Wait! What's the punishment?"

Plum raised an eyebrow and stared at Guzma. He gave Nia a shit eating grin and stated simply, "I already gotcha."

Nia's confused face amused him, but he really wanted her to understand.

"Making you freak out was the punishment." His grin widened as he saw the realization cross her face and then anger. She ran over to him and grabbed his collar, pulling him down to her level. She shook him for good measure and grumbled at him, "You are such an asshole! _That_ was the punishment?!"

She berated him further, but he could only laugh. She was adorable, even when angry. The fact that she had to stand on tiptoes to grab his jacket collar didn't help.

Eventually she let go of him and stomped over to Plum. Guzma couldn't help himself, "See ya later, Princess!" Nia poked her tongue out at him and let Plum escort her to the changing room.

Guzma chuckled, wondering how he got to be in such a good mood today. Usually everyday was shit or boring. K and Plum tried cheering him up, but could only get so far. Maybe Nia was helping too now. He could get used to this.

He whistled as he walked until he ended up at his own door. He could hear someone, who he guessed was K, pacing in circles inside. Maybe he pushed him a little too far earlier. It was kinda sudden and he still didn't know what he felt for K. They had been friends for so long but this? This might break their relationship completely. He was still haunted with thoughts of his friends abandoning him sometimes. He sighed and opened the door, hoping he didn't fuck up their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hubby edited this one too!  
> The song Nia was singing was "Emperors New Clothes" by P!ATD. Here's a link to their official video:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qFF2v8VsaA  
> It's badass as fuck!


	20. Heart to Heart

Guzma opened the door to his room and stepped in. Sure enough K was pacing a circle in the carpet. Guzma shut the door behind him and locked it. They needed to have this talk and he didn't want any interruptions.

  
K looked up at the click of the lock and accidently locked eyes with Guzma. His cheeks were already pink, but now they burned a deep ruby as he watched Guzma approach. He couldn't move even though his body was screaming for him to run. Guzma saw K freeze and stare. Turns out it was a good idea to lock the door, because K looked like he was going to bolt. Guzma had never seen K tremble like this, not even when they hid from the cops as kids. 

To Guzma's surprise, K straightened up and walked to where he was standing in the middle of the room. He was still trembling, but Guzma had to hand it to him. Most Grunts ran away and hid from him or started crying. He expected at least a fist fight from K. Instead K stood in front of him and made eye contact.

"Yes Boss?"

"Sit."

K sat down slowly, unsure of this whole situation. Did Guzma want to continue from earlier? Was he gonna beat the shit out of him? K didn't know, but he figured he should probably listen to what his friend had to say.

Guzma sat down in front of him and lit a cigarette. He offered K one and he took it. He didn't usually smoke, but damn did he need one right now. They puffed a little in silence, tapping away the ashes in an ashtray Guzma brought over. Guzma waited for K to stop trembling before he started talking.

"So, did I accidently find a kink of yours or are you attracted to me?" He tried to be nonchalant, but his curiosity was killing him. He knew from day one that K was Bi but he never wondered if K had the hots for him. Now he was holding his breath for the answer.

K sighed out another cloud and whispered, "Both."

Guzma let out his held breath and nodded in acknowledgment. Every memory of K flashed through his mind and some of the puzzle pieces came together. Guzma laid down on the floor and felt his face burn. How long had K kept this secret? How many years of pain and longing did he have bottled up?

  
"How long?"

K tapped away the ashes and ground out the cigarette. He also laid down and stared at the ceiling. Now that he was starting to lay out his secret, he was filled with excitement and dread. The fact that Guzma was talking to him instead of avoiding him made his old hope flicker to life. He almost wanted to crush it so he wouldn't be hurt by his friend.

"The day we met." K closed his eyes and reminisced. "You and Plum found me and Ralph in the flower field, remember?"

"Yeah.."

How could he forget? K had tried to rob them and take their own meager food stash. Ralph was still a Rattata and they tried to battle while half-starved. The red flowers and mist made them look like messengers of Death itself. Guzma's Wimpod won but it had felt all wrong. K had cried and refused to go to the Pokemon Center, claiming that the Nurse Joys kept wanting to call his parents when they saw him. Guzma had helped him up and asked him to join their gang since it'd be easier to find food and supplies with another pair of hands. Plumeria pointed out he was also another mouth to feed, but then she looked him over and couldn't say no.

"It kinda started as hero worship if I'm honest. Then I started looking at your flaws and still wanted you. I remember seeing you drink Tapu Cocoa for the first time in months and your smile. I wanted to see that smile more."

K sighed and rubbed his skull necklace thoughtfully. He might as well continue and get all of the pain out. Guzma cursed as his cigarette burned him, and he ground it out. He scooted over to K and laid down next to him, staring at the ceiling as K continued.

"Then you and Plum started dating. I...I loved you both so seeing you together was bittersweet. I was happy that you were making each other happy ,but....I couldn't help but feel heartbroken and a little betrayed."

"So that's why you avoided us..."

"Yeah. When I finally healed you two had broken up and you guys had a good number of Grunts. They called you Boss and Big Sis. I...I didn't know where I fit anymore."

Guzma shifted uncomfortably. At the time Nanu had moved in next door and he was having battles with the old man everyday. He had little time for the Grunts and often confused them for each other. He silently wondered if he did that to K at all, confusing him with another Grunt. His stomach turned at the thought.

"I considered leaving. Just moving to another region and starting over. No one would notice one less Grunt."

"You stayed though. Why?"

"Honestly? I flipped a fucking coin."

Guzma winced and stood up. He couldn't continue to listen this without booze. He snagged two bottles and handed one to K. K sat up and thanked him. They clinked the bottles together and took a long swig.

"Month or two later and Plum recognized me. Dragged my ass all the way here so we could talk. I saw you both smile for the first time in months and knew I couldn't leave, not when just seeing me made you happy. I still don't know how she recognized me."

K chuckled and took another drink. It was bitter, but it was what he needed right now.

"Hell, I still don't know where I fit here, but it's easier to live day by day now. Plus I get to look at cha in the bath." K wiggled his eyebrows, trying to get a laugh out of Guzma. Guzma blushed hard instead and tried to change the subject.

"I always considered you two as my right-hand men. You drifting away from us hurt a lot, though I probably didn't hurt as much as you did. I started taking it out on the Grunts and anyone who'd battle me. Plum got super protective and we argued everyday. I hate to think of what I would've become if you hadn't come back."

K leaned against Guzma and sighed. Now that it was all out he felt better, but the future still felt unstable. What would happen if they started dating? What about Plum and Nia? What if Guzma turned him down? 

"Oh yeah, what happened in the hall was new. I had **no** idea I had that kink."

Guzma snorted and took another drink. He grinned and started teasing K.

"So, what did it for ya? Me grabbing your chin? Calling you Grunt? C'mon I wanna take notes, man."

Guzma wiggled his eyebrows at K and K laughed. Guzma flirting with him was something he thought he'd never see. He blushed hard and squirmed as he tried to take apart what happened.

"You're right about those, but it was a killer combo. Did you know your voice changes a little when you're doing Boss shit? It's fucking intimidating! And hot as hell! So put all of those together and you've got your bullshit combo."

Guzma couldn't help but laugh. He just wanted answer out of K and K was dancing around the subject. It irritated him, so he did what came naturally. He didn't mean to completely dominate him.

Their laughter was cut off by a sobbing scream for help. Both men bolted to the door, leaving their booze to spill on the floor. Guzma unlocked the door as fast as he could and they dashed to the sound of sobbing. 

K realized it first and he called out to Guzma, ** _"IT'S_ _NIA!_ _"_**

They slid in front of Nia's door and Guzma ripped it open. K could see Plumeria running down the hall with panic in her eyes.

Guzma was rooted to the spot. Nia was sitting on the floor sobbing and was scratching her legs so hard that they were bleeding and had reopened some old scars. The combination of blood and Nia's expression brought him back to when her arm was ripped off. When she had protected him and her blood splattered on his face.

K ran to get a first aid kit and Plum pushed past Guzma to get to Nia. He tore his eyes away from them and looked around the room. Everything seemed in order except for the bottle of lotion Nia had dropped.

Guzma carefully looked over the bottle and inside. He ground his teeth at what he saw. Tiny flecks of red were barely noticeable in the lotion but it was unmistakable once he touched a little to his fingers.

"Take her to the shower. She needs to get all the lotion off or it'll get caught in her wounds." His voice was low and angry. Plum knew he was barely holding back for Nia's sake. She picked Nia up bridal style and ran out of the room. K saw her running after he found the first aid kit and followed her.

Guzma grabbed the towel Nia had used to dry her hair with and started inspecting the room. He wrapped the towel around his hand and lifted up the bed sheets.

It was there.

He picked up her clothes and looked through all of them.

_It was there._

Finally he checked every bottle of lotion she had.

**_IT WAS THERE._ **

**Every single bottle ruined!**

He tossed them to the floor and stomped out of the room. She couldn't use them anyways. He grabbed the nearest Grunt and set them down in front of him. It was some poor random dude who shivered and shook under Guzma's glare of blind rage. He almost fainted when he gave him money instead of a beating.

"Go to the store and buy lotion and bring it back to me. The medical level shit. Got it?" Guzma was seething and hissed out the words.

"M-M-Medi-c-cal Lo-ti-tion...g-got it"

The Grunt ran to the door and stopped. Why did the Boss need lotion?

"H-Hey Boss? W-why lotion?" He still trembled, but his curiosity demanded to know.

**"IT'S FOR WHEN I RIP YOU A NEW ASSHOLE, NOW FUCKIN' MOVE IT!!"**

The Skull Grunt fled.

* * *

  
Plumeria could hear every stomp and screamed word. Whatever Guzma had found was bad. She tried to focus on Nia instead, helping her wash her legs in the tub. It was cold water so she was shivering, but they needed to clean her wounds. K was ready with a towel so they could dry her off and immediately put bandages on. Nia was lucky she didn't put more lotion on before the itching started.

Nia was no longer sobbing, but she still cried as they washed the red glints out of her scratches. Plume shivered as she looked over the wounds. Nia had left angry gashes all over her legs, tearing up the scarred surface in her desperate attempt to stop the itching. They were in a hurry so they had just dumped her in the tub and turned on the showerhead. Plum made a mental note to bring her a clean uniform.

Guzma stood in the door frame, cracking the wood beneath his fingers.

"So what was it?" K asked. He needed to know in order to put on the right medicine.

" _Rage powder_. Fuckin' **_everywhere_**. Clothes, bedsheets and in every one of her bottles of lotion. This **wasn't** a fuckin accident and it's a shitty ass prank." He was tearing at his hair again.

  
"Pretty sure it's a message Guzma. Rage powder is a bug type move and they purposefully targeted Nia."

"Then it's crystal fuckin' clear. They want Nia to stay away from me." Guzma left the door frame and crossed the hall. The sound of fists leaving dents in the walls echoed through the hall. Even the curious Grunts stayed in their rooms.

  
They were drying Nia's legs off when he came back. Nia wasn't speaking anymore and staring at nothing. Plum knew it was a coping mechanism, but it still felt creepy to see Nia like this.

**"She's staying in my room."**

Plum and K's heads snapped to the side to look at Guzma. He had that crazy angry look in his eyes and was smiling. They knew neither of them could argue with him when he was like this so they nodded. K started wrapping Nia's legs and Plum asked quietly, "Why, Guzma?"

"The way I see it, they want Nia nowhere near me." Spite poisoned his voice, "So the best punishment for them since we don't know who it is, would be to keep her near me at all times. They won't dare do this shit to her again if I'm nearby."

"You might just be making her bait, Guz. They could find other ways to bully her."

"We'll burn that bridge when we get to it. For now, she's safe with me."

_"Please stop talking like I'm not here..."_

They turned to Nia and were surprised to see her trying to get up. The chill was keeping her from uncurling so she kind of just rolled in place. Plum looked up at Guzma and sighed.

  
"Do you want to go with Guzma's plan Nia?"

"What's wrong with my room though?"

Plum sighed and explained, "They spread the powder over everything Nia. We've got to clean all your clothes and bedsheets before we even think about putting you back in there."

"Oh...ok." Her voice was a tiny whisper that they had to strain to hear.

"I'm going to get you some dry clothes, ok?" 

Nia nodded absently and whispered, "I like Boss's plan."

Plum sighed, "Ok. We'll go with Guzma's plan for now. I'll bring the dry clothes to his room, ok?"

Nia nodded and Plumeria left. K finished bandaging her legs and Guzma scooped her up without hesitation. She curled up against his chest and grabbed his shirt for support. He looked down at her and couldn't help thinking that she looked even smaller curled up against him.

  
K followed them, but stayed at least ten feet away. Guzma was a force of nature when he was pissed and K did not want to be close to him if he snapped. He doubted Guzma would purposely hurt him, but he did like to throw things.

K closed the door behind them as Guzma set Nia down on his bed. She was hesitant to let go of his shirt, but she did and curled up on the bed. If she wasn't soaked, she would've made herself a blanket burrito and passed out. She sneezed once and Guzma was on his way to make cocoa. K sat with her and talked to her about little things like what her favorite poffin flavor was to pass the time. Eventually Nia asked about her Pokemon and he went to check on them. They were playing with Grunt B's Pokemon and seemed to be just fine.

"Ummm, hey K?" Grunt B looked worried and she whispered to him.

"Is Boss ok? I heard a scream and then he was punching the walls soon after."

K shuffled from foot to foot before he explained, "Someone played a cruel prank on Nia. All of her things are covered in rage powder and they even put it in all her lotions. Boss was pissed about it."

B frowned and grit her teeth.

"That's not ok. A lot of people are allergic to that stuff, what if she had an allergic reaction? Plus that shit is stupid itchy."

"She might've. It's kinda hard to tell. She...she ripped her legs up pretty bad. I should get back to her to make sure she doesn't itch her bandages. She just wanted to know if her Pokemon were ok."

"They seem pretty ok. I'll text you if something happens.Tell her I can babysit them for a while and to focus on healing, not itching"

K smiled and headed back. The door was locked and he could hear Plum helping Nia change. Soon enough the door unlocked and K stepped inside. Plum did get her another uniform but she also brought pajamas which was what Nia was wearing. Since her legs were bandaged, she could get away with shorts and not feel self-conscious. Add an over-sized Muk pattern shirt and she was the cutest thing in the room.

Plum was setting up another movie in the mini DVD player while Nia sat on the edge of the bed, looking bored. K caught her glancing at Guzma's throne every once in a while and could swear she was inching towards it. He caught sight of the booze they left and sighed. He should probably clean that up. He left to get a towel and passed Guzma. Boss had 4 mugs of Tapu Cocoa, which made K smile.

Guzma entered the room and found Plum hitting the DVD player and cursing. He scanned the room for Nia and was surprised to see her standing next to his throne. She was tracing the divuts he made in the wood armrests.

"Don't even think about it Nia. That's my chair."

Nia must've been feeling mischievous after her tough day, because she inched towards the chair with a tiny smile on her face.

 _"Doooonnnn'ttttt"_ Guzma warned, drawing out the syllables. She inched closer and closer, her smile growing with every inch.

Guzma sat the cocoa down on the dresser and started towards her. She was cute, but that was His chair. She was able to reach out and touch the upholstery before Guzma scooped her up again. Plum and Nia chuckled as Guzma carried her back to the bed and dropped her onto it. She bounced a little and laughed.

  
Plum got the DVD player working and K came back. Guzma sat in his chair and the other three laid on the bed watching "Zubatman and Fletchling". They sipped their cocoa as they watched the Roserade villain team up with the Glalie villain. Nia almost started crying when the Roserade killed the Glalie's Froslass wife.

  
Eventually Grunts came by that needed K or Plum and they left leaving Guzma and Nia alone. She was under the covers, cuddling a pillow when a thought occurred to her.

  
"Hey Boss? Where are you sleeping?"

Guzma took a sip of his cocoa and stared at his computer screen.

"In my bed."

"Oh." She slid out of the bed and padded over to him. She looked around the room confused.

"So where do I sleep?"

Another sip of cocoa and a couple of mouse clicks.

"In my bed."

"Umm...but-"

"It's a king we'll both fit with plenty of room." click click

Nia rubbed her arm shyly, not looking at him. Her face grew warm as she whispered, 

"Isn't that.. kinda..intimate?"

Guzma turned away from his laptop and looked at her. Her face was starting to get that ruby hue that K had as she shuffled her feet waiting for an answer. She glanced up at him before looking away again, fiddling with her fingers nervously.

_"If you want it to be."_

She stared up at him and he gave her a smirk. Watching her fidget and sputter made him smile wider. Finally she gulped and laughed nervously, gently smacking his arm.

  
"B-boss. Y-you shouldn't tease. Y-you'll give someone the-the wrong idea..."

She backed up, still blushing hard. He watched her walk away and felt a little disappointed.

"I-I'm gonna go to bed now. N-night!"

She dived into the bed and moved as close to the wall as she could. She mentally berated herself for not taking him up on his offer, but then thought of Plum and K. She couldn't pick one over the other two, it wouldn't be fair to her heart.

  
She sighed and pulled a pillow close to her. She shut her eyes tight and tried to sleep, but her mind wandered and thoughts came forward unbidden.

_"He was teasing and you fell for it"_

_"You're so needy, it's pathetic"_

_"They'll never fall for you."_

_"You don't deserve any of them and you want all three?"_

**_"Greedy"_ **

**_"Selfish"_ **

**_"Pathetic"_ **

_"They should have let him kill you."_

_"They would be better off without **you**."_

Her nails dug into her arms and scratched long angry marks down them. Her tears fell silently and she stifled every sob. It'd be worse if Guzma saw her like this. He had seen her cry enough today.

  
A knock at the door snapped her out of her thoughts. Guzma stretched and walked over to the door. 

The Grunt he sent earlier was holding shopping bags and almost wheezing. Guzma took the bags and searched through them. The Grunt was hunched over with his hands on his knees. It was obvious he ran the whole way.

"I-I didn't...I didn't know wh-which one ya needed." 

All of the lotions were medicinal, but they each boasted different effects. He could see why the Grunt was confused. With a grunt of confirmation, he patted the Grunt on the head.

"Ya did good."

  
The Grunt smiled and wiped his brow. His ass was safe for another day.

Nia was sitting up in bed and was staring curiously. She leaned to get a better look and the Grunt caught her eye as he stood up. They made eye contact and he hesitated. Realization clicked in his head as Guzma shut the door. His face was pink as he silently cheered on his Boss. No wonder he needed the lotion! He hurried away, excited to tell his buds what he saw.

  
Guzma placed each bottle on the dresser in a line so he could get a better look at them. This one said it was for sensitive skin and that one was for dry skin and it just made Guzma frustrated. He tugged at his hair and muttered to himself. He didn't hear the pattering of her footsteps and jumped when a tiny hand reached out for the next one in line.

"This one."

  
He looked down at her and noticed some redness around her eyes. Was she crying and he didn't hear it? She padded back to the bed and placed the bottle on the ground next to it. He watched her slide back into bed and curl up against the wall. He may be stupid sometimes but he could tell when someone was upset.

  
The bed sagged under his weight as he laid on his back next to her. She peeked over her shoulder at him and blushed. He caught her gaze and she turned back away, embarrassed.

"So you do the lotion thing everyday?" He figured focusing on something else might help her. Silently he wondered if he had hurt her somehow when he flirted with her. She obviously thought it was a joke. Technically it was, but only half. He would've been happy if she'd said yes.

"Y-yeah." her voice was hushed and it just confirmed she was upset about something.

  
"You gotta do that shit for the rest of your life or what?"

"N-no. The doctors said..they said it might just look like a bad sunburn in a couple years."

She sighed and gripped the pillow tight, forcing her tears back.

"Th-they said not to get m-my hopes up though. The damage was pretty severe... I'm missing a lot of nerves, especially in my legs. My legs barely even itched but by the time I realized I scratched too hard, it was touching live nerves."

She reached down and touched her bandaged shins. Guilt filled her heart and she whispered, "I should've just listened to them."

Guzma turned to face her and felt rage boil up inside him. She looked too vulnerable, like a Cutiefly with only one wing. Without thinking he pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her protectively. She eeped and blushed, but she didn't struggle. Guzma was the perfect height to cuddle with and she needed a hug. 

"Listened to _who?"_  
She froze, surprised he even heard her. She stuttered and pretended not to know what he was talking about, but Nia was almost as bad a liar as K. He squeezed her tighter and she stopped talking.

"Who hurt you Nia? Do you know?" His voice was dangerously calm.

"N-no..I-I don't know who pranked me. I... I was just thinking of... of my first day here. It was probably just newbie hazing y'know? Something they... they didn't mean?"

Guzma stayed silent. Maybe this was clue as to who did this to her? 

"They just... just... made me feel like I was stalking you. Asking me if I dyed my hair purple for attention. They pointed out that I had Caterpie pjs... Called me desperate... and pathetic."

  
This happened on her first day?! Whoever did this to her was gonna get the beating of a lifetime!

"I... I am pretty pathetic though. I'm not exactly Team Skull material. I mean, I hate battling! I'm no good at it anyways and I know I'll feel bad stealing Pokemon. I have no useful talent and will just drag you guys down. I... I only joined because you guys asked. Because you guys made me feel wanted. I... I didn't want to be alone anymore..."

  
She looked up at him with tears shining on her cheeks. She smiled sadly when they made eye contact.

"Pretty pathetic, huh?"

She sniffled and wiped away her tears. Guzma held her tight still and stayed silent. She wondered if he was deciding to throw her out. She wouldn't blame him.

"You're sticking with me from now on."

She pulled away and sat up, staring at him with confusion. She just explained why she wasn't Skull material and he wanted her to stick around?

He sat up and grabbed her shoulders. Her heart skipped and she felt her face heat up. His eyes weren't full of contempt like she expected, instead it was grim determination.

"From now on, I'm gonna teach ya how to fight. With and without your pokemon."

He hugged her tight and she found herself smiling. He had faith in her and it made her want to cry all over again.

"You're not pathetic, Nia. I'll show you that. Besides we already found your talent."

He released her and she looked up at him. She could help Team Skull in her own way somehow?

Guzma grinned and announced, "Ya have two actually."

He pinched her cheeks and continued, "Cooking, and being fuckin' adorable!"

She laughed and pinched his sides in an attempt to make him let go of her face. Her tiny hands made him ticklish and he chuckled at her attempts. Finally he let go and she rubbed her cheeks, pouting the whole time.

To his surprise Nia wasn't done with him yet. She stood up on the bed and pinched his cheeks, pouting. It felt strange looking up at her.

"You shouldn't lie, Boss. I..." her pout fell into a frown as she continued, " You've seen my burns, remember...? There's nothing cute about that." She sighed, touching their foreheads together without a thought. "You should be **disgusted** by me..."

A pinch to her side forced out an eep and she let go, falling on her butt in the process. Guzma's face was dusted pink as he crossed his arms. 

"Look. I know I'm bad at cheerin' people up, but listen up. _You. Are. **Cute.**_ Cutiefly level of cute. It's almost nauseating. Scars ain't gonna change that."

  
She blushed hard and felt that goofy embarrassed smile creep across her face. Guzma gulped and stood up, facing away so she didn't see his own reddened face.

"You should go ta bed, princess. We got shit to do in the morning."

"Ok." Her voice was tiny, but it didn't sound sad anymore. He mentally patted himself on the back and sat down in his chair. Nia was already under the covers again, but she was in the middle of the bed now. Her eyes were shut and she was cuddling a pillow, but her content smile made his worries fade.

He did good.

"Night, Guzma... and... thank you..."

He grunted in acknowledgement and returned to his computer. His cocoa was cold now, but he drank it anyways.

The next time he looked up, she was fast asleep. It wasn't long after that that Guzma got into bed as well, going slowly as to not wake her up. She immediately latched onto his arm in her sleep and he smiled, not bothering to stop her. He fell asleep with her clutching his arm like a lifeline and his chin resting on her head.


	21. A Day with Guzma

Something soft and fluffy caressed his nose, bringing him slowly back to the waking world. His eyes opened slowly and lazily searched for what woke him up. 

A wisp of dark purple hair tickled his nose as he breathed in. He brushed it away and blearily looked down in an effort to find its owner. After a few minutes he realized that the tangle of hair that sat on his chest belonged to Nia. Sometime during the night she had climbed on top of him and slept draped over his chest. 

He smiled as his face flushed pink. Of course she was a cuddler, he should've known that from how she snagged his arm the night before. He just didn't expect her to climb on top of him. 

Her fingers were tangled in his shirt and her legs were wrapped around his. He sighed and put his arms behind his head. He was utterly trapped by her. Nope, no way he could move. He smiled and smoothed her hair down, away from his face.

She muttered something as she slept and rubbed her cheek against his chest. He gently picked up his watch from the bedside table and squinted at it in the dark. It looked like they still had a couple hours to sleep so he put it back and wrapped his arms around her. He couldn't see it, but she smiled as he held her close. He found that if he focused on her he could feel her heartbeat against his chest. It lulled him back to sleep.

* * *

  
Nia woke at her usual time, but didn't want to get up. She was warm and comfy, wrapped in... it wasn't a blanket. What was it?

She sat up and rubbed her eyes. The heavy somethings fell away and she looked around. She didn't recognize the messy room until she spotted the throne. Everything came rushing back to her and she looked around, searching for Guzma.

A groan from under her stole her attention and she was mortified to find Guzma between her legs. He stretched and arched his back, lifting her up with ease. She grabbed his shirt instinctivly for balance and squeaked. He opened his eyes and grinned while she grew red with embarrassment.

"Morning, princess."

Before she could move he grabbed her legs and rolled his hips, grinding against her. A surprised moan escaped her lips and Guzma sat up. He pulled her closer to him and whispered in her ear.

"You plannin' on surprising me this mornin'?"

He could feel her shiver as he spoke. He ground his hips against hers again and felt her whole body shudder. She had one hand clamped over her mouth, struggling to keep anymore moans from escaping. 

She shook her head "no" and pushed him with her free hand so he stopped and let her go. Guzma leaned back and admired his handiwork.

Her face was flushed bright pink and her eyes were half-lidded. He couldn't tell if her eyes were clouded with need or irritation. Her breathing was heavy and ragged. As he watched her, he silently wondered if she had done anything sexual with anyone besides herself. From her expression and how she reacted he guessed it was a no. He chuckled as he watched her calm down, wondering what expression she'd make if he told her he wanted her.

She misunderstood his chuckle and her face twisted with embarrassment. She slapped his chest and crossed her arms, furious with his antics. He laughed as she fumed and sputtered at him.

"I can never tell when you're teasing or being serious! Give me a heads-up next time, dammit!"

"That's part of the fun, babe."

He chuckled and she huffed before getting off of him. She could feel her body reacting to him, growing hot and bothered. She silently wondered if she could get away with some 'private time' to take care of the heat in her stomach. The only question was how long Guzma would leave her alone.

She snagged her clothes and headed to the door, face still burning. She was going to change in the bathroom, but when she tried the doorknob she was surprised to see it locked. From behind her she could hear Guzma get up and stretch.

"Give me a sec, princess. I'll letcha have the room, but I need a few things."

She turned and watched him grab his jacket and a pack of smokes.

"Why did you lock the door?"

He shrugged on the jacket and popped a cigarette into his mouth.

"You're not paranoid after yesterday? Fuck, I'd be." He walked over to the door and unlocked it, then jimmied it up using the doorknob. The door opened easily and he stepped out.

"Just come out when you're done babe." He watched her blush and he chuckled before lighting his cigarette.

"Which nickname are you giving me today? Princess or babe?"

He grinned and ruffled her hair. "Ah, you know me. I like to mix and match."

She ducked back in and closed the door. After a moment he heard the door lock too. He shrugged and brought out his phone, scrolling through it while he waited.

Inside the room, Nia was a mess. She picked up one of the pillows and screamed into it. _Whhhhyyyyyyyy_ did Guzma do that?! Teasing was one thing, but this was practically _edging_ at this point! Calling her babe didn't help either. There had always been a happy little tingle in the back of her skull when he called her nicknames, but this morning it was like a Pikachu had zapped her brain.

  
She stripped with a huff and grabbed her bottle of lotion. She grumbled to herself as she put it on, still thinking about the incident. She didn't bother with her back and legs since they were bandaged or she couldn't reach. As she put the bottle back she had an epiphany. Her hands were covered in lotion and she was hot and bothered.

If she didn't put her fingers inside, how fast could she cum? Surely the lotion would help immensely...

She glared at the door and climbed back onto the bed. Would this be payback? She didn't know, but she still wanted to do it.  
She stuffed one of the pillows into her mouth and got comfortable on his side of the bed. A devilish grin crossed her face as she stared at the door and she brushed a finger across her pearl. A shiver rolled up her spine and she gasped into the pillow. Oh yes, this was perfect.

She started gentle, but thinking of Guzma on the other side of the wall made her reckless. She could hear his voice echo through her head as she stroked, calling her babe and princess. Her back arched as she thought of his teasing her this morning, whispering in her ear. Oh, she'd surprise him alright. One morning he might just wake up tied to the bed while she fucked him into the mattress.

That last thought made her cum and she moaned into the pillow. Stars dotted her vision and she slumped over, breathing hard. After a minute or two she came back to her senses and covered her face in embarrassment.

She had to stop watching porn... stupid unrealistic scenarios.

A knock on the door snapped her out of her self-loathing and she leaped out of bed.

"You ok in there, princess? Ya need ya boi for anything?"

Yes. "No, I'm fine! I was just having trouble reaching my back. I'll be out in a sec."

"Alright, just seemed like you were takin' a while."

She slipped on her clothes as fast as she could, taking care to make sure they weren't inside out or backwards.

She stepped out of the room and looked up at Guzma. His cigarette was half-gone and she could swear his cheeks were a little pink. They had been very red a few moments ago, but Nia didn't know that.

He looked her over and almost lost his cigarette. She was wearing the actual uniform, shorts included!

"You ah...You're wearing shorts today."

She smiled a little and shrugged. "I was wearing pants to cover my scars. With my legs bandaged I don't feel the need to."

He nodded absently and watched her walk towards the broken window, wondering how she had hidden that cute butt all this time. She was about to climb through when Guzma snapped out of it.

"Hey! Nia! We use the banister, remember?"

Nia turned and walked back with a blush.

"I um...I still don't know how to...how to do the slidey thing."

Guzma flicked his cigarette out a window and gestured to the banister.

"Good thing ya got tha best teacher in Shady House. Now 'mere."

She obeyed and he lifted her up onto the banister. He still marvelled at the fact that he could carry her everywhere like a purse pokemon. He could almost imagine her with Skitty ears.

"Now, first ya need ta find your balance. Ya see how ya ain't fallin' right now? That's whatcha need."

"I'll be honest with you Boss. This shit is terrifying."

He laughed under his breath and continued. "Ya get used to it. Now cross yer legs at the ankle, helps with stability."

She followed his instruction and he nodded with approval. She still held onto the banister, but she had good balance.

"Now all ya need ta do now is let go and let gravity do the work."

Nia carefully pried her fingers from the banister and started to slide. Instinct told her to grab the banister, but she grabbed her waist instead. She struggled to maintain her balance, but overall she did a good job. Then Guzma realized he didn't teach her how to dismount.

Nia tumbled and face planted into the carpet, groaning before laying on her back. Guzma slid down after her and helped her up. She dusted herself off and shot him a tiny glare.

"You forgot to tell me how to land."

He smirked and retorted, "Thought you'd be smart enough to figure that out."

She immediately sulked and muttered, "Well, you're a butthead..."

Guzma laughed hard, putting his hands on his knees to stay upright. Nia's face burned with indignation as he struggled to regain his composure. He wiped away a tear as he stood up and Nia pouted, refusing to look at him.

"Oh my Arceus, Nia! Is that... Is that the worst insult you can come up with?"

"Noo..." It totally was.

"Oh my Arceus. I'm gonna have ta teach ya how ta throw shade." He patted her head and walked towards the kitchen. Nia slowly let go of her pout and followed after him. Technically she already got him back for whatever he did today so she couldn't be too mad.

Guzma took a deep breath in and smelled what could only be bacon cooking. His face burst into a grin and he walked faster, eager for food. He got to the entrance of the kitchen and looked back. He couldn't forget Nia.

She wasn't there.

He rushed back out and followed his footsteps. She wasn't anywhere behind him. He was about to start searching the halls when he heard something from the first floor bathroom. He raced over to the door and flung it open. Sure enough it was Nia, but she had her head in the toilet.

"Hey? Nia? You ok?"

She groped for the toilet paper and wiped her mouth with it. She dropped it in and flushed away her stomach contents.

"Y-y-yeah... just um... I'm not hungry... You-you should go eat."

"Tauros shit. What's happening? You were fine a second ago."

She shook her head and resisted the urge to hurk again. She gave him a trembling smile and tried to shoo him away again. Instead he crouched and rubbed her back until she finally told him.

"B-b-burning s-s-skin smells like... like s-swine cooking."

"OH..."

He continued to rub her back until she could sit up by herself. He patted her head and stood up.

"Try ta make it to tha game room, k? I'll bring ya food."

She could only nod and watch as he walked down to the kitchen. She could hear the clatter of dishes and pans and she smiled weakly. Breakfast sounded a lot better now.

Using the wall as a support she walked to the game room. No one else was there at the moment, so she grabbed the comfiest blanket and rolled up in it. She laid down on the couch and flipped through the channels.

The flashy opening for a contest show grabbed her attention. Maybe it was a gameshow?

Nia watched as people and their pokemon were introduced along with judges. Everyone was dressed in fancy clothes, usually with too many ribbons or sparkles. It kinda hurt her eyes and just made her irritated at the rich people. Even the men looked like they were either part of a band or some douchey butler.

She was going to change the channel until she saw the pokemon. All of them were immaculate and well groomed. All of them looked happy and proud to stand next to their trainers.

The judges went up to the first Pokemon, a Barbaracle. The announcer had mentioned that this was a cool contest and this one definitely tried to act cool. It flexed and posed, letting the judges touch and examine. Unfortunately the judges determined it'd be better for a tough contest.

Next was a Kantonian Geodude. It stared stoically away from the camera and almost seemed bored. It seemed to be more appealing to the judges and they moved to the next.

Nia recognized this one immediately. A Venipede sat perched on its trainers shoulder and looked ready to throw down with any of the other contestants. Its exoskeleton gleamed like it was waxed and polished. It's eyes were clear with no glassy tinge that some bug types had.

Guzma walked in at this point and Nia was sitting directly in front of the tv, marveling at the pokemon. He went to say something about her being too close, but she shushed him, returning to the show.

The last pokemon was a Servine. It had a regal air about it and commanded the attention of all in the stadium. Personally Nia thought it looked stuck up, but the judges loved it giving it a full score.

Guzma scoffed from the couch.

"Fuck that! The Venipede should get that score. That fucker couldn't be any healthier!"

Nia nodded in agreement and the show rolled on. Guzma handed her a plate and she ate quietly, not even looking at or tasting the food.

The next segment was dancing which made both of them scowl.

"That's dumb," Though Nia did have to admit that Venipede looked ridiculously adorable dancing on its tiny legs.

"How do you even tell if a geodude is dancing? They just...bounce?"

  
Nia shrugged. "Maybe they bounce in a certain direction? I don't know"

The appeal round was last and by this time, both of them were sitting directly in front of the tv, cheering on the little Venipede. Its trainer used Agility and Solar Beam in combination to fill the stadium with a laser light show. Sending up a Gyro ball turned the light show into a disco and the little Venipede danced leaving Toxic Spikes in its wake to trip up it's competitors.

Unfortunately the Servine won and they groaned in dismay. The little Venipede came in second and they sulked. Guzma turned off the tv and Nia stared at the ceiling, thinking.

"I think I want to be a coordinator."

Guzma looked over at her with a scowl. "Like those pompous douchebags? Who are you and what have you done with Nia?"

Nia sat up and grabbed Guzma's hands. She had a spark in her eye that reminded him of when he was taking the Island Challenge. Her fingers were trembling with excitement as she explained.

"Not just a coordinator, Guzma! I want to overhaul the system! Fuck those fancy clothes and fuck forcing your pokemon to dance! It should be all about skill and how well you care for your partners!"

She stood up on the couch, still lost in her ramblings to even think about being quiet or shy. Guzma could only stare in wonder as she rambled, amazed by how happy she seemed.

"It shouldn't always be about battles Guzma. There should always be other options. Just look at Alola! No matter which island you go to the only thing you can do with your Pokemon is battle! I hate it."

Nia's hands balled into fists as she sat back down. When did her heart fill with so much emotion? Had it always been there, hiding behind the fear?

"My... step-dad didn't let me go on my journey, refused to. Said I was too weak and that he'd never have a coordinator under his roof. I didn't even know what that was. I never looked into it because it was already closed off to me."

Guzma's own hands clenched into fists. Everytime she brought up her step-dad he hated him more, and he already hated him very much.

Nia jumped up from the couch and grabbed Guzma's hands again. She didn't even seem to notice that they were fists.

"But _FUCK HIM!!_ Guzma, I want to be the best damn coordinator in the world! I've always felt like there was something missing and this is it! And as a bonus I get to rub his fuckin' nose in it!"

Her eyes were shining like stars and Guzma couldn't bring himself to say anything.

"I'm gonna get my Pokemon from B! I'll be right back!"

He watched as Hurricane Nia raced out of the room, completely forgetting that he was supposed to stick with her. He silently wondered if he'd ever been that energetic.

Plum rushed in and glanced around the room.

"I heard yelling. What the fuck happened?"

Guzma turned to her and said, "I was here and I still have no idea."

Plum blinked in shock and asked, "Well... who was yelling?"

"Nia."

"A-about what?"

"She wants to be a coordinator."

Plum crossed her arms and processed this. After a minute or two Plum nodded and stated, "She'll be good at it if she can overcome her shyness. I'm gonna tell the Grunts to start bringing home berries if they can find any."

"What? Why?"

"Poffins use berries. She's gonna need a lot of poffins to keep her Pokemon healthy."

"Oh, yeah, ok." He sat up and stretched, finally recovering from his shock. He didn't really have time to relax however because Nia came racing back into the room, with all three balls clipped to her belt. Nia flopped onto the couch and huffed. She sat there for a long minute just catching her breath. Something clicked in Guzma's head and he picked her up like a sack of potatoes.

"Bossss? What are ya doing?"

Guzma shifted her around so she was comfortable and started towards the doors of Shady House.

"I said yesterday I was gonna teach ya how ta fight. Looks like I gotta train ya stamina too. Can't have you passing out during a fight after all."

"Nia sighed. "Ok Boss. Teach me how to kick ass."

Guzma grinned, "Well I already told you who tha best teacher was. By tha time I'm done with ya, you'll be able to kick Golisopods ass."

"Your Golisopod?"

"Naw, wild one. If I can't noogie tha bastard you definitely can't."

She giggled until they were outside. The rain was warm, but it was still rain. Guzma waved to a couple of Grunts as they passed and they waved back. After a little bit of walking he finally set her down in a mostly empty part of the lawn. He popped his neck and knuckles before he turned to her.

"Alright. First I gotta know if ya can make a fist."

Nia clenched her hand and he looked it over. Nodding in approval, he held his hands up, palms facing her.

"Alright. Take a stance and punch my hands, no holding back."

Nia tried, she really did. She wound up her arm like she was going to throw a baseball and did hit the target, but it was more of a tiny slap than a punch. Guzma cringed and shook his head.

"Nope. Let me show ya." He reached over and repositioned her body, helping her go through the movements.

This went on for about an hour, before Guzma got impatient.

"Alright. Now this would usually be the time I show ya how ta kick, but ya legs fucked up."

Nia scowled, but she nodded quietly. Her muscles were burning but the rain helped wash away the sweat.

"Instead, you're gonna fight me. No kicks, but besides that remember what I taught ya. Don't feel bad about fighting dirty with me, got it?"

Nia settled into a stance and nodded. He stood in one place, arms raised defensively and nodded back.

Nia circled him, trying to find a weak spot. She couldn't find one in his defense so she figured fighting dirty was the way to go. She ducked down and darted forward. He expected her to go for his nuts so he crouched to block on instinct. She popped him under the chin instead. She could hear his teeth click together even with the rain. 

Unfortunately that was the only solid hit she got on him. They went on for another hour, but he blocked every shot. Nia felt exhausted and frustrated to the point that she finally threw a kick instead. Guzma caught her leg and flipped her so she landed on her back in the mud. The air was knocked out of her and she laid there in the mud gasping. Guzma walked over to her and crouched.

"I told ya, no kicks."

Nia raised one hand with great effort and flipped him the bird. He laughed and carried her back inside. The rest of the day was spent cleaning up and then relaxing, namely watching Webflicks.

Guzma turned on the tv and Nia noticed something.

"Why are there two profiles?"

One was called 'Cat_Daddy_69_420' and the other was 'YOYOYOYOYOUYOYO'. She looked up at Guzma confused. Guzma chuckled and explained.

"We were stealin' Nanu's Webflicks and purposely looking up weird shit to mess with him. Eventually he made us that YoYo profile so we'd stop fuckin with him. We all fuckin hated the name so two of the Grunts snuck over and changed his profile name. Either he hasn't figured out how to change it back or he just doesn't give a fuck."

Nia laughed and cuddled up to him. Soon after Grunts came in to watch with them and Plum sat on the other side of Nia. K sat on the floor, resting his head on Nia's knees. Nia fell asleep, surrounded by family.


End file.
